Not long ago the media
reported a humorous (but also pitiful) story about a black bear cub that got
stuck. The 100-pound “Bucket Bear,” as he was called, was noticed by the
residents of Jamison City, Pennsylvania after he got a plastic jar stuck on his
head. The jar was set outside near the trash bins of a local restaurant and it contained
remnants of cooking oil in the bottom.
Bucket Bear couldn't
resist the temptation, so he stuck his head inside to get a few licks.
Unfortunately for the bear, his head was bigger than the top opening and he
couldn’t get the jar off. The bear eluded the local game wardens for eleven
days! But as one resident explained, “You knew where he was, because you could
hear him banging into things.”
As the bear lumbered
through the darkness, bashing into trees and rocks, the rescue team finally cornered
him in a homeowner’s backyard, where it ended up falling into a swimming pool a
couple of times. Eventually, they wrangled the animal into a position where
another rescuer yanked the jar off his head![1]
It’s really amazing that the bear didn’t die of starvation and dehydration
before the jar was removed.
I don’t think I’ve read a
more vivid description of the temptation trap that the Bible warns us about.
Have you ever noticed that the deceptive nature of temptation lies in its attractiveness?
Just like the bear who couldn’t resist the drippings in the jar and stuck his
head in, the Enemy skillfully and subtly wraps sin in a pretty package that
looks non-threatening.
Adam and Eve saw “that the
tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the
tree was to be desired to make one wise” (Gen. 3:6). Lot chose to pitch his
tent in the direction of Sodom because of the green “well-watered plains” that
led into the city (Gen. 13:10). Achan got big dollar signs in his eyes when he saw
the forbidden treasure inside Jericho’s walls (Josh. 7:21). Likewise, David’s
downfall happened when he was captivated by the beauty of a bathing Bathsheba
(2 Sam. 11:2).
David Jeremiah wrote, “Temptation
doesn’t usually come to us in the form of a rattlesnake. It’s more like a piece
of chocolate cake, a hundred-dollar bill, a beautiful woman or a handsome man,
a pair of dice, a corner office, a new Lexus, or a chance to see the answers to
an exam. Temptation is attractive; otherwise it wouldn’t be tempting. And it’s
dangerous because its attractive.”[2]
Moreover, the Devil never
tips his hand in temptation. He only shows you the beauty, the fun, and the
adventure which promises that stolen waters are sweet (Pro. 9:17-18). He never
tells the heavy drinker about tomorrow’s hangover. Nor does he mention to the addict
that one hit can ruin your life. He tells the thief, the adulterer, the cheater,
“You’re too clever to get caught.” In short, the Devil smiles as he prods us stick
our head in the jar.
When it comes to
temptation, our best defense is to know the Enemy’s strategy, as Paul wrote “so
that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs”
(2 Cor. 2:11). The good news is that when we are caught in Satan’s snare there
is One who can come to our rescue. Jesus alone promises that if we do it His
way, He can free us from the bondage of sin, “So if the Son sets you free, you
will be free indeed” (John 8:36). -DM
[1] Marcus
Schneck, “Bucket Bear freed of its 'bucket' in Perry Township, Clarion County,
Pennsylvania,” Penn Live, 1 September
2014 <http://blog.pennlive.com/wildaboutpa/2014/09/bucket_bear_freed_of_its_bucke.html>
[2]
David Jeremiah, Overcomer (Nashville,
TN: Thomas Nelson, 2018), 143.
No comments:
Post a Comment