Father, I am grateful for a restful sleep last night, for today has been a busy one for sure. Thank You for getting us through all the many elements of our day and for the blessing of having each other.
John 12:1-10 (<<click here to read the passage)
I was surprised to discover that I am as old as Lay’s Potato Chips theme “Betcha can’t eat just one”! It was introduced in 1963 and one of its earliest promoters in commercials was the one and only, Bert Lahr, famous for his portrayal of the Cowardly Lion in 1939’s The Wizard of Oz.
Over the years, several people have advertised for them, but as many will recall, the person in the clip would have one chip and simply could not eat one. They always had to have another…and in at least Lahr’s spots the whole bag!
Chips, at least in controlled amounts, are very tasty but whole bags at a sitting can be very detrimental to one’s health – the salt and the carbohydrates alone make for a very bad combination! They are best avoided by diabetics and those dealing with high blood pressure for sure!
Something else that is bad for us is sin! And of course, sin can take many forms and can literally affect every aspect of our lives. The biggest problem is that sin very easily multiplies. In our thinking, one little sin isn’t going to hurt anything but if it remains unchecked, it widens the door inch by inch allowing bigger and bigger sins to remain unchecked. Eventually, that little introductory sin becomes a whole lifetime of entanglement, from which we will never be able to escape…at least not in our own ability and strength!
In verses 9-10 of our passage John notes,
When all the people heard of Jesus’ arrival, they flocked to see him and also to see Lazarus, the man Jesus had raised from the dead. Then the leading priests decided to kill Lazarus, too,
My Life Application Study Bible New Living Translation spells it out very clearly.
The leading priests’ blindness and hardness of heart caused them to sink ever deeper into sin. They rejected the Messiah and planned to kill him, and then plotted to murder Lazarus as well. One sin leads to another. From the Jewish leaders’ point of view, they could accuse Jesus of blasphemy because he claimed equality with God. But Lazarus had done nothing of the kind. They wanted Lazarus dead simply because he was a living witness to Jesus’ power. This is a warning to us to avoid sin. Sin leads to more sin, a downward spiral that can be stopped only by repentance and the power of the Holy Spirit to change our behavior.
Lord Jesus, You were tempted by sin but never yielded to its lures (Hebrews 4:15). You understand what we go through but even that does not stop us. Even those who are faithful and strive to obediently follow in Your footsteps can struggle with temptation. It lurks behind every corner, under every rock, biding its time, knowing that we will pass and be tempted for just one chip. May we resist and even if we yield may we stop at just one. Amen.
Aug 10th, 2021, Tues, 9:07 pm
