Minimum Pleasure, Maximum ...

MINIMUM PLEASURE, MAXIMUM PENALTY

When we sin, we often do so with the futile hope that we shall obtain the maximum amount of pleasure at the minimum penalty. It seldom works that way, however.

I once heard the story of a man and his wife who decided to go to a drive-in movie. They thought the price was too high and plotted to put one over on the management of the theater. When they were within a short distance of the drive-in, the husband climbed into the trunk of the car. The arrangement was that his wife would let him out after she was inside the theater.

All went off as planned, at least as far as getting past the ticket-seller was concerned. But when the wife got to the back of the car to let her husband out of the trunk, she discovered that he had the trunk keys in his pocket. In desperation she had to call the manager, the police, and the rescue squad. Neither saw the movie, and the trunk had to be cut open.

Such is the path of sin. The ride is short and the price is high.

(From a sermon by Ajai Prakash, "Escaping Temptations" 1/29/2009)