The scorpion

The story is told about a holy old man who used to meditate every morning under a large tree on the banks of the river Ganges in northern India. The place he chose was near a site of pilgrimage where Hindus came to wash in the sacred river and cleanse themselves from sin. One morning, after he had finished his meditation, the old man noticed a large scorpion floating helplessly on the strong current of the river. The scorpion became caught in the tree’s long roots that extended into the river bed. The more it struggled to free itself, the more entangled it became in the twining roots. The old man reached out to free the captive animal and, as soon as he touched it, the scorpion lifted its tail and stung him wildly. But the old man reached out again to free it!
A young man was passing and saw what was happening. He shouted out, “Old man, what’s wrong with you? You must be crazy! Why bother risking your life to save such an ugly useless creature?”
The old man turned to the onlooker, and in his pain asked him a question. “Friend,” he said, “because it is the nature of the scorpion to sting, why should I give up my own nature to save?”
This story of the old man and the scorpion raises a problem that we all face: do we take our cue for action from the treatment we receive from others, or do we continue in the way of graciousness even when we get stung ourselves? Jesus argues that the love his disciples give people is not related to the love they receive from others. This love is not a social contract or a fair bargain. The disciple loves because that is what the nature of discipleship involves! Obviously, Jesus realized that love does not transform enemies into instant friends. Love didn’t solve all of Jesus’ problems with his enemies. In the end he was the one who reached out to free others and was mortally stung in the process. However, he always remained with his supreme value because that emerged from who he was as the Son of the Father. This is the way we discover what perfection is really all about!