There was an old man who used to meditate each day by the Ganges River in India.
One morning he saw a scorpion floating on the water. When the scorpion drifted near the old man he reached out to rescue it but was stung by the scorpion. A bit later he tried again and was stung again, the bite swelling his hand and giving him much pain.
Another man passing by saw what was happening and yelled at the old man, “Hey, stupid old man, what’s wrong with you? Only a fool would risk his life for the sake of an evil creature. Don’t you know you could kill yourself trying to save that ungrateful scorpion?”
The old man calmly replied, “My friend, just because it is in the scorpion’s nature to sting, does not change my nature to save.”
Fr. Henri Nouwen liked to tell this story. The old man in the story represents God. It is in God’s nature to save us, because it is in God’s nature to love. That is why God sent us his own son Jesus to live and to die for us. God seeks the lost, heals the wounded, forgives the offender, and gives hope to those who are in despair.
IT IS WHAT GOD DOES! IT IS WHO GOD IS!
How has a particular sin of yours stung God, yet God reached out and saved you?
Jesus ENTERS your life, SCANS your problems, EDITS your tension, DOWNLOADS solutions, DELETES your worries and SAVES you!
