Frederic Remington was an American sculptor who worked in the early 1900’s. His artistic creations sell today for as much as $100,000. One of his most famous works, The Rattlesnake, depicts a horse and horseman encountering a snake on a path. The horse is reared up on its two hind legs, the horseman is holding on mightily and the rattlesnake is poised to strike. This brilliant sculpture acts as a parable of how we should react when we encounter temptation. We should act as quickly and seriously as did the horse and horseman. In other words, we have to get out of the way of sin as quickly as we can. Sin is not something to toy with, to fool around with, to think we can indulge in just a little bit. Since sin is about our relationship with God, we can’t think that just a little damage to the relationship is alright. Whatever it would mean to just steal a little, or lie a little, or commit adultery just once, anything like that would be saying to God that we don’t love him enough to honor the way of life to which he calls us. So we have to run away from sin the moment its possibility presents itself. If we are not careful, sin can strike quickly and in a deadly way. I’m reminded of the old “knock, knock” saying that goes like this. “Knock, knock”. “Whose there” said I. “Just a lonely little sin”. “Enter” said I. And all hell came in.
