You Knew What It Was

Sitting under RVL's teaching again this past weekend was a blessing, an honor, a beautiful refreshing breath of air. At the start of the Saturday session he shared a story often told by the rabbis. It has so caught my attention that I thought I'd share it here.

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Once there was a rabbi who decided to climb to the top of the mountain of God. It was a long walk to the base of the mountain and when he got there he sat down on a rock to catch his breath before starting the long climb.

A black scorpion - the deadly kind - came and sat next to him on the rock. "Where are you going?" the scorpion asked the rabbi.

"I am going to climb to the top of the mountain," the rabbi said.

"I am wanting to go to the top of the mountain too," the scorpion said. "Pick me up and let me ride on your shoulder."

"No," the rabbi said. "You will pull back your tail and sting me, and then I will die."

"Why would I do that?" asked the scorpion. "If I were to sting you and you were to die, how would I get to the top?"

The rabbi thought about that for a moment and decided that the scorpion made a logical argument. He picked him up, set him on his shoulder and started the climb.

By the time the rabbi had climbed about a third of the way up, the climb being arduous, he was tired and covered with sweat. As he stopped to rest, the scorpion on his shoulder reared back his tail and stung the rabbi in the neck.

The rabbi fell to the ground, and as his throat began to swell shut and he knew he would die, he looked at the scorpion. "Why did you do that...?" he choked.

"Don't blame me," said the scorpion. "You knew what I was when you picked me up."

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We each have those things that we allow to ride on our shoulders - habits, strongholds, "pet" sins. And we can each act surprised when we're "stung." But who is to blame? I know what it is when I pick it up and set it on my shoulder - no matter how logical an argument it makes.  And so do you.