Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: The Reason for the Season of Christmas (12/04/08)
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TITLE: Curled in the corner | Previous Challenge Entry
By Sharon Kane
12/08/08 -
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“Aye, son. Your wee brother did very well. As did you what, eleven, twelve years ago? To be sure it was a good show. They left out the snake again though. All the years I've been coming to nativity plays at this school, and they have yet to include the snake.”
“Don't be stupid, Dad! A snake in the stable? Show me that in the Bible!”
“The Bible says nothing about cattle or donkeys at the manger, yet they always appear on the stage. But we've had that conversation many a time. As for the snake, you can be sure he was there. Curled up in the corner as likely as not, slimy low-down creature that he is.”
“A snake? Whatever was it doing there? Why did no one kill it? You don't let snakes into nurseries. Ugh! That's too gross to even want to think about. What did it do? What happened?”
“Whoa son, not so fast! Gross? Absolutely! The most accursed creature that ever crawled on planet earth. Why did no one kill it? No human eyes saw it. What was it doing there? S-s-silently s-s-surveying the s-s-scene, s-s-searching for the s-s-split s-s-second to s-s-strike. What happened? Nothing! The Father saw to it that his Son was safe. Angels surrounded the manger, drawn swords in hands. The s-s-slippery s-s-serpent s-s-saw he would never get a s-s-stab at the child. He s-s-slunk off s-s-searching for s-s-some other way to work his mis-s-schief.”
“And?”
“Well he poisoned Herod with his venom. Some months later Herod in his jealousy sent his henchmen to kill Jesus...”
“But they didn't get him, coz Gabriel appeared to Joseph in a dream and good ole Joe wasted no time in whisking Mary and Jesus to safety. I know that story! But there was no snake involved there either.”
“Sure, the children of Bethlehem died by the sword, but the serpent was behind it all. Not that he was satisfied! It was Jesus he wanted dead.”
“He tried again?”
“Oh yes! It got harder of course. It's not so easy to kill a grown man as it is a vulnerable child, but he kept trying. After Jesus refused to jump from the Temple, a violent mob tried to push him off a cliff – more than once in fact. Then there were those freak storms on the lake. Finally his venom got control of the religious leaders who sent Jesus to the cross. Seemed like the poison of jealousy and hatred had finally won the day. Ha! How the monster must have screamed when Jesus came back from the dead, the keys of hell in his hands!”
“OK, I think I'm beginning to see what you're getting at. But I still don't believe there was a snake in the stable.”
“I'm telling you, son, no snake: no Christmas! From time immemorial he's been bent on destroying God's beautiful world. He turns millions away from faith to self-interest. Those who resist him he tries to kill, so intent is he on snuffing out the light. God's love is too great to let him sit idly by watching his creation get wrecked, so he sent Jesus. The serpent hated Jesus most of all. He knew his days were numbered when he arrived on the scene! Believe you me, he was not about to take defeat lying down. Had he been able to kill the baby, he'd have spoiled God's whole glorious plan. Had Jesus bowed to him in the wilderness, or at any other time for that matter, boom! That would have been the end of our salvation. You can be sure that snake slithered after Jesus from the cradle to the cross. Now, if you still don't believe me, go read Revelation 12 and come talk some more.”
“A woman...she was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth...The dragon stood in front of the woman...so that he might devour her child... Dad! Dad! I've read it. But in my Bible it says it was a dragon!”
“Well done my son! Doesn't it feel good to get one up on your old man? But now, tell me wise guy; just how is the school supposed to fit a dragon in the stable?”
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The serpent was in the garden, it stands to reason he would follow Jesus around, waiting for the perfect opportunity to end HIM.
God bless and keep writing.