Scorpion and the Frog

There is a story that begins with a scorpion meeting a frog on the bank of a rushing stream. The scorpion wishes to cross, but knows that he cannot do so without drowning. He looks over and notices a frog sitting on the bank.

“Excuse me, kind sir. Would you be willing to give me a ride across the stream? I will help you find some food if you do so.”

“Give you a ride?” The frog asks, "How do I know you won't sting me?"

The scorpion held out his claws in a pose of innocence, "If I do that, I will die too."

“Oh,” The frog nodded, “That makes sense.” Satisfied, he allowed the scorpion to crawl onto his back, and they set out to cross the stream.

About halfway across the rushing stream, the frog feels a sharp sting on his back. The paralysis almost immediately sets in. The frog, startled, looks back at the scorpion and asks, “Why?” Because he knows that they both will drown.

The scorpion shrugged as his head started to go under, “Because it’s my nature...”

As we look at sin, we often get fooled by the promises that it gives us. “I won’t hurt you... I’ll help you achieve things you cannot do on your own...”

What we must remember is that it is the nature of sin to destroy. Sin will play innocent, but it will always sting you in the end.

“Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?” (Proverbs 6:27)