| Luke 17:32- “Remember Lot’s wife.” |
We tend to like hero stories.
In Bible class, we teach of David and Goliath. The small fry knocking off the bully is always a favorite.
But there are other stories, especially those of Jesus that depend on learning a good lesson from a bad example.
The rich fool–don’t act like him.
The foolish virgins–surely you can have more foresight.
And there are others we need to hear. One comes from the Galatian storyteller Aesop.
A lion, a donkey and a fox went hunting one day and did fairly well.
The decided to divide it among themselves. Each got an equal share.
The fox was well satisfied with that arrangement. But the lion flew into a rage over it and with one great paw, added the donkey to the pile of the meal.
The lion turned to the fox and said angrily, “Now, you divide it.”
Not sure what to make of the lion, hastily put it all in a single pile. From it, he took the horns and hoofs of the mountain goat and the end of the oxtail.
By now, the lion had calmed down. “Who taught you to divide so fairly?” he pleasantly inquired.
“I learned a lesson from the donkey,” replied the Fox, carefully edging away.
Jesus liked to point out “remember.” When he was telling others of the folly of trying to preserve their own life at all costs, a single phrase was all he needed to say. “Remember Lot’s wife!” (Luke 17:32, NIV)
It would do us well to observe carefully, not just for the good we can imitate but for the bad examples that warn us. Perhaps, we will learn well from them.
–Robert G. Taylor
robertgtaylor.com
