CURSES

A few days ago I was reading a story about a curse. As a Christian, I believe in curses. I know that this is not mere superstition, that Jesus and others have laid them on people. Balaam was asked to make one and was unable to impart anything but a blessing. God himself cursed mankind from the days of the garden. I understand that it must be possible for me to curse someone, as the bible instructs me to bless and curse not. So curses are a very real thing.

In my story about the curse, a man was given an opportunity to do good, but instead had tried to steal something of great price and was caught. He was told that the penalty was death, but in mercy he was given his choice on how this was to be accomplished. However, there was no appeal or escape, he had to choose *something*. He had a night to think about it, and had to declare the means of choice the next day. He considered the many ways there are to die. Perhaps he should be shot, that's pretty quick. Maybe poisoned would be better, where you die in your sleep. Being thrown off a cliff seemed like a "sudden" end, but was it painless? And wouldn't an eternity pass by as his body fell the great distance? What terror!

Maybe he should choose to die in a noble way, by giving his life for someone else's sake. Maybe die in battle for his country. Or even try to bring another's punishment on himself, that they might go free. There's something obvious here he was overlooking, do you see it?

But in the meantime, how would you choose to die? Rip-roaring drunk, or surrounded by beauty and luxury, or some other thing that dulls or enhances your senses? Perhaps you would make a game of it, and challenge your accusers to a fight to the death. Maybe you would do something that you never dared to but always wanted to, like drive really fast into a brick wall or wrestle an alligator or get thrown from a catapult. (Not that I have always wanted to do these things - choose your own poison!)

This is only physical death, of course. In my story that's all that was under consideration, but I would ask you to think about your spiritual side. Jesus says not to fear those who can end your life, but instead fear him who can destroy your soul! It doesn't mean we should just throw our lives away in reckless abandon. That same Jesus also encourages us to live for others, to keep ourselves pure, and worship God as we should. Jesus puts a curse on many when he says "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire" all because they didn't feed him, clothe him, take him in, visit him, or give him drink.

What does this all mean for us? Every day we have opportunities to do good. If we choose not to, we are living in a cursed situation. We can lift that curse, death from sin, by repentance, but isn't it all that much better when we seek to avoid the penalty in the first place? Wouldn't you rather hear "Come ye blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you"?

Oh, and about my story. You may have guessed what his answer was the next day. His choice of demise was - death by old age! Pretty smart, and they let him go. We're all under a "death sentence" in a big way, aren't we? Sooner or later, all men die. Just don't let it be the death of your soul!

Randy