The Sting

Nature can teach some harsh lessons. As a boy growing up in Indiana, hunting, fishing and the outdoors became “second nature.” My dad wanted to make my first hunting experience a right of passage to manhood. An introduction to the forest and hunting arrived on a cool September morning in an area of hardwood trees called Bracher's Woods. It was near my small town of Boonville in Southern Indiana.

The weather was cool enough to bring a little chill and I shivered. The collection of dew dripping off the tree leaves created a simulation of early morning rain. We walked a few steps and sat down with our backs next to a tree listening for the presence of squirrels. The flat lands of Indiana is home to the fox squirrel. The fox squirrel was so named for its furry likeness of the red foxes that roam the fields and woods of Southern Indiana.

As we neared the middle of the woods, we sat down on a dead tree that lay across our pathway. We listened quietly to a red-headed woodpecker drumming out his tunes on a hollow tree. The call of an occasional crow pierced the silence in the nearby corn fields. A fussy blue jay protested the invasion of his territory from intruders. Dad whispered in my ear and told me to concentrate on listening for the steady drop of “cuttings” or pieces of hickory nuts falling through the leaves of the trees. He instructed me that the sound of a tree limb bouncing was often and indicator of a squirrel scurrying from one tree to another searching for a morning meal. I noticed a limb bouncing in the distance and said, “Look dad, a branch moved, it must be a squirrel.” My dad smiled and said, “No son, the branch is not weighted enough to be a squirrel. Keep looking and I think you will find it is just a bird.” As the words escaped from his mouth a pale brown thrush flashed his wings and took flight from a branch of an oak.

In a few minutes a familiar sound pierced the silence. A hickory nut came bouncing through the tree branches hitting the ground with a thud. Dad put his hand in the air like a referee and snapped his fingers and pointed to a large hickory in the distance. He pointed toward the upper branches where hickory nuts hung in clusters. As pieces of chewed hickory nuts began to fall, they glanced off the leaves sounding like the steady dripping of rain.

A fox squirrel was chewing his morning meal. We moved forward cautiously stepping through dew moistened leaves. Dad instructed me to follow him closely. Soon we came to a dead tree that had fallen across the path. Dad stepped over it, but I stepped on it. The rotten wood collapsed beneath my feet. I felt a burning sting on my arm. Swatting at the flying insects I realized I had stepped on a hive of honey bees.

I looked down at my thin boyish body and saw nothing but a mass of angry bees. Dad removed his hunting vest and swatted at the bees without any concern for his own safety. As soon as he had the swarming bees in flight he picked me up under his arm. With guns under his left arm and me under his right he jogged to the dirt road where our vehicle was parked. As we rushed home I could see the tears running down his face as he worried over my condition.

After arriving home dad examined my body expecting to find a number of stings. Much to his surprise only one sting was discovered. It was the one honey bee sting that caused me to panic. Dad had multiple stings all over his body, but was not allergic to their venom. My whole family thanked God that day for His divine protection.

In I Corinthians 15:50-58 Paul is speaking to the Christians at Corinth:

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: 'Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your sting, O Hades, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.' Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.1

In reflection, I discovered a wonderful application from my boyhood experience. I should have no fear of death because death has lost it's sting. Scientists tell us that a honey bee can sting only once. Why? Because the stinger breaks off as it is thrust into the skin and the bee forfeits his life. We experience pain until we apply some moistened baking soda or antibiotic ointment. The venom is drawn out by the baking soda and infection is prevented through the ointment. Paul is giving us a beautiful illustration of the work of Jesus on the cross.

Jesus shed His own blood and applied it to the venom of sin and death. Because of the drawing power of the cross and Jesus' blood , death lost its sting. Death can sting once, but it can never sting again. The scripture refers to death's sting as the “second death.” All die once, but we do not have to die twice. Dying twice means to experience pain and separation from God.. If we will appropriate and apply the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus to our lives we can have victory over the second death.

When I was a young student I often accompanied my mom and dad to the funeral home to visit a friend or family member that had lost a loved one. I refused to think about the reality of death as a student because I believed death was only for old people. The Lord used those experiences in my life to remind me of death's reality. One reminder came when my teenage friend was killed on the highway while driving home from work. My friend's death was a shock to our community. The Lord used that bad experience to awaken students to the reality of death. At the funeral home the deceased teenager's mother gave her life to Christ. I learned that God can take the experience of death and make something good out of it. God is in control in both life and death.

Years ago I worked as a correctional officer at a state prison. I was in charge of a maximum security dorm guarding inmates. The rule was at 10:30 PM, it was lights out. If an inmate had a light or television on he would be asked to turn it off as a courtesy to others. One evening I was making the rounds at 10:30 and discovered an inmate had violated the rule. I politely asked him to turn his lights off. He cursed me and threatened to kill me. I responded, “Hey you cannot threaten me with heaven. I am looking forward to seeing Jesus some day!” He laughed and shouted, “This officer is crazy!” I was not afraid of dying because I knew that Jesus had taken away the sting of death in my life. Instead of dreading death I can actually look forward to death because of the promises of God.

Paul finishes the chapter by encouraging us to be steadfast and faithful in our service for the Lord. Those early Christians lived with the threat of death all around them. Yet their faith remained strong in spite of uncertainties. As a student you may be confronted with verbal persecution and difficulty at school. If you are a Christian, do not be afraid. Jesus has given us victory through his death, burial and resurrection on the cross. Paul tells us we need to be thankful in praise to the Lord for his great love. He took away the sting of death and it can never sting us again

Lord teach me to have no fear as I serve you in this life. Remind me that Jesus took away the sting of death from my life. Thank you Jesus for your sacrifice. Keep me secure in your care today.