Biting the Hand That Feeds

I am sure you have heard the phrase, "a leopard cannot change its spots" (Jeremiah 13:23). Leopards are born with spots and they live with spots their whole life. To expect a leopard to look any different is foolish, and one must accept them as they are. Even were a leopard to try and change its spots, it wouldn't be able to. Just as leopards do not change their spots, seldom will a leopard ever change its nature. Leopards are hunters, fierce wild animals to stay away from. One may tame a leopard, if one finds one very small and hand rears it, but would you ever totally trust that leopard, especially alone with your children? Such is the nature of the beast.

A few fables exist, attributed to Aesop or other ancient sources, showing how creatures or people have been hurt trusting those they shouldn't. For example, there is the fable about the farmer and the viper: A farmer finds a viper in snow. The viper is barely alive and is freezing to death and the farmer takes pity on the helpless creature. The farmer picks the viper up and puts it inside his warm coat. The heat revives the viper, who then bites the farmer, and the farmer dies for his kindness.

Or the fable about the frog and the scorpion: A scorpion wants to cross a river, and he encounters a frog. He asks the frog to carry him across, but the frog is afraid of being stung by the scorpion. The scorpion points out that if he were to sting the frog, then the frog would drop him and both would drown. The frog agrees, lulled into a complacent belief of safety. Halfway across the river, the scorpion's tail stings the frog, and, just before both die, the frog croaks out, why, and the scorpion answers, because that is his nature.

In South Africa, where I grew up, stories are common of families being robbed and murdered by employees well known to the family and who had become an integral part of the family. This happens the world over, and much crime may be attributed by those known to the victims. Why does this happen? I can only surmise that the victims did not see the true nature of the people they thought they knew and trusted and were misled from the start and lulled into complacency. Then again, perhaps money and the promise of temporary wealth proved too much temptation to resist, and money won over love?

In previous blog articles, I speak of love for all mankind, and of loving and including all people. But at the same time, I do realise there are some individuals one must be careful of, who may never change their nature, unless they truly follow God and have a total change of heart. Do not be complacent.

Jesus said, "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." (Matthew 10:16 KJV)