One Man's Blood Is the Best Anti-venom for Snakes
The latest research (published on May 2, 2025, in the journal Cell Press) is showing great promise in the fight against the deadly effects of snake bites:
Scientists have developed what they believe is the most widely effective antivenom ever — and the secret ingredient came from one man’s blood.
In the course of their research, the team found a man, Tim Friede, who had been bitten hundreds of times by 16 species of deadly snakes — the poison lethal enough to kill a horse, according to the scientists — over an 18-year period.
It turns out Friede was intentionally subjecting himself to the snake bites (over 200 of them!) and venom (over 700 doses!) in order to self-immunize against the deadly effects. He would start with very small doses, so as not to produce a fatal response, then gradually increase the exposure so his body could adjust to the poison over time. The result was a sort of "hyper-immunity" which makes him virtually impervious to a wide range of venomous toxins.
Now, rich in anti-venom antibodies, components from his blood are being developed into a very broad based antitode to combat the toxic effects of snake bites in others who have been bitten.
Don't bellieve it? Here's a link to his YouTube channel with plently of "sssssss"cary videos.
This might be a reasonable and, frankly, successful approach when it comes to literal snake venom, but the principle hardly carries over to the spiritual realm where we have been told that our most sinister enemy is "that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray" (Revelation 12:9, NIV).
From the moment of the Fall of Man in the Garden of Eden, we've had a snake, errrrr a sin problem. But with the sin came the promise:
"And I will put enmity between you [Satan] and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he [Jesus] will crush your head, and you will strike his heel” (Genesis 3:15, NIV).
And that promise came through the shed blood of Jesus on the cross. "In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness" (Hebrews 9:22, NIV).
Some erroneously think that they can withstand the toxitcity of a life lived in sin and rebellion, engaging in ever increasing exposure to the trappings of this world and all its influence. But in the spiritual realm, you never "adjust to the poison," and the continued exposure doesn't produce "hyper-immunity" ... it only produces death!
Indeed, though, there is ONE MAN who can provide the "hyper-immunity" required to both resist and triumph over the toxic influence of that great serpent, Satan. But that man is NOT Tim Friede; that Man is the Lord Jesus Christ!
The Masterpiece Already Exists
In the early 16th century, Michelangelo, one of the greatest artists of all time, was presented with a massive block of marble that other sculptors had deemed worthless. This marble, originally quarried in Carrara, was considered of poor quality due to its thinness and imperfections, like holes and veins. It was deemed too flawed, too difficult to work with, and thus was abandoned by two previous sculptors who attempted to use it.
Yet, Michelangelo saw something different in it. He saw the potential for greatness.
Despite these challenges, Michelangelo transformed the flawed marble into one of the most celebrated masterpieces in history. His ability to work with the material's limitations and create such a stunning sculpture is a testament to his genius and skill.
It all stemmed from his general artistic philosophy when approaching a new block of marble:
"The sculpture is already complete within the marble block, before I start my work. It is already there, I just have to chisel away the superfluous material."
It is variously (and perhaps anectodaly) reported that when asked about this particular magnificent statue, Michelangelo famously said, “I saw David in the marble and removed everything that was not David.”
This story beautifully parallels the message of John 15, where Jesus describes God as the gardener and His followers as the branches of a vine.
Just as Michelangelo removed the unnecessary marble to reveal the masterpiece within, God prunes His followers, cutting away the aspects of our lives that do not bear fruit. This pruning, though perhaps painful at times, is done out of love and with a vision of our potential in Him. It is not the removal of what is merely unwanted, but rather what is unneeded, allowing for growth and the revelation of our true beauty and purpose in Christ. As Scripture affirms in John 15:1-2:
I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts away every branch of mine that doesn't produce fruit. But he trims clean every branch that does produce fruit, so that it will produce even more fruit.
Afterall, we are created in His image. He fully sees the masterpiece which lies within each of us. And, like David, when He peers into our potential and completes His divine pruning, He can likewise proclaim, “I saw [a masterpiece] in the marble and removed everything that was not [in keeping with My image].”
"And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit" (2 Corinthians 3:18, NIV).
"For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son ..." (Romans 8:29, NIV).
"And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man" (1 Corinthians 15:49, NIV).
The Sustainable Practice of Redeeming Broken Vessels
A story is told of a master potter known for her exquisite clay vessels. One day, while carrying her finest creation—a delicate vase—to the market, she tripped, and it shattered on the ground. Heartbroken, she gathered the pieces, but instead of discarding them, she took them back to her workshop.
Carefully, she ground the shards into dust, mixed them with fresh clay, and shaped a new vessel. When she fired it in the kiln, the vase emerged with stunning colors and patterns, more beautiful than before—strengthened by its brokenness.
A young apprentice, watching in awe, asked, "Why didn’t you throw it away?" The master potter smiled and said, "Brokenness is not the end. In the hands of the Potter, even shattered pieces can become something new."
It's a lovely story, but it doesn't begin to describe the actual process a potter must go through to redeem and repurpose the value of a broken vessel. AI describes the entire process this way ...
Reusing clay from broken pottery is a sustainable practice, though it does require some effort. Here’s how you can do it:
- Gather and Crush: Collect the broken pottery pieces and break them down into small fragments. If the pottery was glazed, you’ll need to scrape off the glaze, as it doesn’t easily blend back into clay.
- Soak and Slake: Place the broken pieces into a container and cover them with water. Let them soak for a day or two. This process, called "slaking," helps rehydrate the clay.
- Remove Impurities: Once the clay becomes soft, you can mix it into a slurry and strain it through a fine mesh to remove impurities, like bits of glaze or other materials.
- Dry and Knead: Spread the wet clay onto a plaster surface to dry until it reaches a workable consistency. Then knead it thoroughly to eliminate air bubbles and ensure a smooth texture.
- After these steps, the clay should be ready to reuse for new projects! It’s a great way to reduce waste and create something fresh out of old materials.
Like clay in God’s hands, our brokenness is not wasted. He reshapes our pain, failures, and regrets into something stronger and more beautiful. But this is no easy process. Like the potter in the story above, our Master Potter goes through many of the same steps to redeem and reclaim our brokenness for his good will and pleasure.
First, we must be broken down in humility before the shattered pieces of our lives can be rebuilt.
"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise" (Psalms 51:17, ESV).
Next, we must allow ourselves to be "slaked" (refreshed, rehydrated) by the renewing power of Living Water.
"But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life" (John 4:4, ESV).
"For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish" (Jeremiah 31:25, ESV).
Next, we must be cleansed from our impurities.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9, ESV).
Finally, we must be kneaded into a smooth and workable slab of clay to be molded and reshaped by the Master Potter.
"The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 'Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will let you hear my words.' So I went down to the potter's house, and there he was working at his wheel. And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter's hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do" (Jeremiah 18:1-4, ESV).
"But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand" (Isaiah 64:8, ESV).
Surrender your broken pieces to Him! He longs to redeem your brokenness so that He might do His new work in your life!
"To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness" (Ephesians 4:22-24, ESV).