A gang of drunkards was rowing a
country-boat along a lake. On the way they saw a shop where liquor (toddy) was being
served. It was getting dark and all of them were tired. They decided to have a
halt and resume the row after relishing a drink. They got out of the boat and
tied the boat safely with a rope to a tree on the bank of the lake. Then they
entered the liquor shop and ordered drinks. They filled their bellies to the
full with the liquor and returned to the boat with unsteady steps. They got
into the boat and rowed hard, happily singing a fond melody in the ecstasy of
intoxication. Hours rolled on. At sunrise, when they came back to their senses,
they were surprised to find that they were still stationed near the liquor
shop. They examined the boat and found that it was still bound to the tree. In
the intoxicated state, they forgot to untie the boat. It could not move though
they rowed hard for a full night!
A
group of pious people used to join for a
common prayer frequently. Their senior leader used to repeat this request in
every prayer, “Lord, clean all the cobwebs entangling my life.” One day, tired
of hearing this repeated request, one smart member who was to pray next, prayed
aloud, “Lord, our leader has been praying every day to get his cobwebs removed.
Kindly grant him the strength to kill the spider that is causing this constant
trouble!” The members greeted the prayer with great applause.
Man
has an inherent inclination to sin. Bondage to certain people, places, ideas,
attitudes or articles may be the driving force that leads us to a sin
repeatedly. The courage and determination to remove the root cause of the sin
is the best way to escape from a temptation. Killing of the spider is the
surest way to avoid cobwebs. Rowing can move a boat only if the bond to the
tree is broken.
A
gifted preacher finished his sermon on sin. He had narrated his own sinful past
and the story of his successful transformation. There was a question from the
audience, “What were you before repentance? He answered, “A sinner.” The next
question was, “Then, what are you now?” The preacher repeated, “A sinner.”
“Then what is the difference?” the person inquired. The preacher replied,
“Earlier, I was a sinner, running after sin. But now I am a sinner running away
from sin!”
Sir James Young Simpson (1811-1870) who
discovered the use of chloroform as an anaesthetic, was asked to list his
greatest discoveries. He said that his greatest discovery was that he was a
sinner in the sight of God.
If we confess our sins to God
and seek His forgiveness, He will forgive us and grant His grace to purify our
life.
..............................................................................................................
© By Dr. Babu Philip, Professor, Cochin University of
Science & Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi-682016, Kerala, India, Prof. Mrs. Rajamma Babu, Former Professor, St. Dominic's
College, Kanjirappally and Leo. S. John, Maniparambil, Ooriyakunnath,
Kunnumbhagom, Kanjirappally, Kottayam-686507, Kerala, India.
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