Frank Stockton’s short story The Lady or the Tiger? first published in 1882, was for many years a favorite of high school English and literature classes. The story tells of a barbaric king who administered justice in his kingdom in a unique way. When a man was accused, he was placed in an arena with two doors before him. Behind one was a bloodthirsty tiger that would kill him in an instant. Behind the other was a beautiful maiden who would immediately become his wife. In Stockton’s tale, a commoner fell in love with the king’s daughter. When the king discovered this, he was furious and sentenced the young man to his fate. Before the appointed day, the princess discovered which door concealed the tiger and which concealed the woman who would marry the man she loved—a woman she knew and hated. Just before the man chose his door and his destiny, she signaled toward the door on the right. The story does not answer the question of which fate she selected for the young man, leaving it up to the reader to determine what her choice would be. Would she rather see him alive with someone else or would she rather see him dead? Like the man in that fictional story, we face a choice when temptation comes—a choice that is literally life and death. The difference is that we can know what is behind the door. While sin presents a beautiful face, it conceals death. The path of sin always leads to the same end. James wrote, “Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” (James 1:15). The only hope we have is to yield to God’s Spirit and take the way to escape that He provides when temptation comes. Today’s Proverbs Precept: When you are tempted to sin, remember what lies behind that door and do what is right.
Posted on: Wed, 09 Oct 2013 21:06:41 +0000
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