An Action Leads To A Reaction

I had tried to remove myself from such teasing however this day I failed miserably.

Luke 16:1-31

Reference:  v.2 So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’ (NIV Bible)

Explore:   My most shameful day in primary school was when I was in grade Four.  I was usually a well-behaved student who was generally kind to people and obeyed the rules.  However one particular morning I showed how easily my peers could sway me.  There was a particular boy in our class who had the surname of Jubber.  He was teased by all his peers and one of the worst names they called him was ‘Jubber Germs’.  I had tried to remove myself from such teasing however this day I failed miserably.  When this young boy arrived at school and walked into the class room one of the boys yelled, ‘Ew, Jubber Germs!  Quick, everyone off the floor!’  When I saw that everyone was jumping up onto the tables and the tubs I feared that I would be the only one left standing and I didn’t want to be teased myself.  So I too jumped up on a near-by chair.  I can still remember the look of sadness on this young boys face and I still feel ashamed that I had joined in on such an activity. To our dismay the teacher walked in while we were still perched up on the tables and so quickly found out what had gone on.  I was the first – and only – time I had been sent to the restricted area during recess time and missed out on my play.  I can remember some of my fellow peers complaining that we should be excluded from recess time and yet I was relieved that my punishment had not been worse.

Application:  We often go through life doing the wrong thing.  You may not have been in such a horrible scene as I was in grade four however we have all sinned in some way.  We may have told a lie, desired something that wasn’t ours or gossiped behind someone’s back.  There are natural consequences that come with our actions.  People are hurt, friends are lost and we go through strained times.  We have to be mindful of what we do as each action creates a reaction.  We all have choices.  We can choose to continue to do harmful things or we can chose to make things right.  In Luke 16 we hear that the shrewd manager had been caught for his laziness but he decided to be proactive in fixing his situation.  While we are so blessed to have Jesus remove all our sins we also have the choice to start making things right with the people around us.

Prayer:  Lord, forgive us for the wrong that we do.  Help us to foresee the reactions that are caused by our actions.  May we strive to make better choices.  Amen.

When has your action made a negative reaction?

Luke