The Spider Monkey Syndrome
January 2000 Monte T. Brown
Tell the story of the spider monkey.
In the country of Tialand lives a very small monkey, called the spider monkey. It is given its name because, it hangs from the tree by its tail and lets its arms and legs dangle.
The children of Tialand catch this monkey and sell it for extra money. Because of its size it is very difficult to catch. It is so small that you cannot even catch it in a net.
However, they have found, that they could take a very long necked bottle and tie a rope around the neck of the bottle, place peanuts in the bottle and a few on the ground around the bottle, and wait for the spider monkey to come.
The spider monkey would see the peanuts on the ground, eat them, then notice the peanuts in the bottle, and reach its arm into the long neck bottle and grab a hand full of peanuts.
Well, when the spider monkey would try to pull its arm out of the bottle, it could not, because of the hand is clinched to a fist, full of peanuts. Because of the great treasure the spider monkey had found it would not let go of the peanuts.
Then the trapper would take hold of the rope and lead the spider monkey off, to be sold.
There is one thing that the spider monkey loves more that peanuts and that is fruit. There has been test run, to see if the spider monkey would let go of the peanuts. They would scatter fresh fruit just out of reach all around the bottle, but the spider monkey would not let go of the peanuts.
In fact the only way to get the spider monkey’s arm out of the bottle is to break the bottle.
THE TRAPPER ------------------ SATAN
THE BOTTLE -------------------- SATAN’S TRAP
THE PEANUTS ------------------ SATAN’S BAIT
THE FRUIT ----------------------- GOD’S GIFT FOR US
James 5:1-3
Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. [2] Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. [3] Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days.
The word treasure, used in chapter five of James is a word used among the Greeks signifying anything collected together, such as a home, land, furniture, car, boat, money, etc.
In other words earthly treasures.
God does not desire that his children be poor. He doesn’t want us to run around in rags.
A Christian is a child of the King. A child of a king does not have to live like a pauper.
God does not desire that we be poor, on the contrary, he delights when we prosper.
What the Lord doesn’t like his those people that spend all their time seeking the riches of this world, and not feasting on His Word?
One of the greatest riches that a person can receive is feasting on God’s Word.
The trouble lies in the fact that our priorities are not in line with God’s will.
We have reversed the Word of God to fit our own needs.
Our priorities should be:
1. God first.
2. Our family second
3. and the church third.
4. everything else follows.
Let me share with you an example that illustrates a truth that is evident in our lives.
THE SPIDER MONKEY SYNDROME
Many a person goes around with a small hand of peanuts in their hands and afraid to go and reach out for the fruit.
We think that we have everything.
