The Parable of the Mouse Trap

Let me just start off by saying I am not Jesus, and this is not a spoken truth that mysteriously got left out of the bible. I do, however, feel that the parable of the mouse trap is a great picture of what sin in our lives is like. I also think, that if Jesus lived in my house...he would definitely be relating all of his theology to mice. Mice, therefore, being the the epitome of all things bad.

Well, I'm sure we're all aware of how mouse traps work, but just in case, I'll give a quick run through of the concept. First part; there is a wooden base that is of no importance in the analogy...but it is foundational in the design of the trap. Secondly, there is bait. The bait is crucial in the eradication of any rodent. Peanut butter is usually the bait of choice. Why anyone would use such a delicious food and give it to a rodent, I don't know. But, it seems to be popular and effective. Thirdly, and of great importance is the snapper. Now, I don't work for any trapping company, nor do I do any developmental designing, so I don't know the technical term for this part. But I'll continue to refer to it as the snapper.

Now that the trap concept is clear, let's get on to the good stuff. So, this is how it goes down. The bait is laid, the trap is set. It is put in a good location that will encounter many mice. But, the trap only needs one mouse to have a victory. When the lights go out, the mice wander around...in search for a new home and some tasties. They approach a foreign object--which is not a rare occurrence. They smell. They remember. Remember what, you may ask. They remember their 15th cousin Vinny who died last Tuesday. It all seems so familiar. Came up to something they thought was food and snap...the food ate him! Well, that's how the mice see it I guess. So the mouse thinks, "I know Vinny died last week, but this certainly can't be the same thing that happened to him! I mean, this smells so good and I don't think anything bad could come of this delicacy. It can't eat me! It isn't even alive!" After that split second of a thought, the following will forever haunt this mouse and those around him. SNAP! I guess the forever haunting part was a little overkill, seeing how it is dead now and there is no mouse heaven.

That exact situation is so much like what we experience when being tempted into sin. We know that there could be some bad in what we are contemplating to partake in, but the idea of it not being that bad comes in. We think, "well, this doesn't fell like it is 100% obedience to God, but on the other hand, it doesn't really seem like it is complete disobedience." So, without any truth coming to mind, that split second of a thought turns into an action and then, SNAP! The sin is made and everything is crystal clear. Scriptures come to mind that completely admonish our actions. We think, "Why couldn't I have thought so clearly before? Oh, it was Satan that tricked me! It's not my fault, the sin was there and I gave in."

Sara Groves has a great song with some truth in it, like she usually does, about that exact situation (not the mouse one, but the sinning one).
To say that the Devil made me do it, is a cop-out and a lie
The Devil can't make me do anything when I'm calling on Jesus Christ.
So, how do we avoid the snap? Well, we don't just aviod the snap, we get to the root of it all and see what brought us to that point. What lies were fed to us and what lies did we believe? Was it that the action wasn't really "that bad"? Or was it that the sin was more important, more fulfilling, more gratifying then complete obedience to God. Complete obedience does not let us down and it brings so much glory to God. If we could only remember that in the midst of a mental war over words to say, patience to be had, or actions to be held back. And, when we have been falling into a particular sin, it's sometimes hard to remember how awesome it is to be in full connection with God, with all of our obedience. John Piper says, "God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in HIM!" Not when we are most satisfied in sin, because sin only gives for a moment and then is gone. Sin has no affiliations with the words and meanings of fulfilling, satisfying, and replenish. Once sin gives birth, it is an ugly whatchamacallit that we can't even recognize. It no longer looks clean and ripe and delicious as we formerly saw it. It looks like an ugly, bruised fruit with maggots coming out of it.

So, let us be filled with truth, so that when the time arises (which it will) we will be gaurded with weapons that only our maker can arm us with--the word of God. We have a powerful army that can be sure to take down any lie, any half-truth, or any fabrication of those good and perfect words that have been given to restore us. God is most glorified when we are most satisfied...in HIM! Press on, my friends.