ON THE VANGUARD

LEECHES
“One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. She caught him by his cloak and said, ‘Come to bed with me!’ But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.”
Genesis 39:11-12

I have a crazy hobby; one that most despise. I love to research. Maybe it makes sense as it goes hand in hand with all the writing I do. To me, there is something enjoyable about learning for the first time. Researching new topics and knowing new things not only helps me in Trivial Pursuit, but also feeds my constant desire to be a student. With that in mind, when my son brought home a book about leeches, I had to read it. Ever since watching the African Queen as a child I have been scared by the thought of leeches, so I wanted to get a new and true perspective on these parasites.
When I was reading this book, I found something very interesting. A leech makes a special type of saliva which allows them to drink quickly and painlessly. As they spread this saliva over the area where they will feast, they also spread an anesthetic which stops any pain. This anesthetic then keeps the host from feeling the bite. It is common for leeches to be connected to a person for hours before they are ever noticed or realized. But a second agent is also found in the saliva, one called anticoagulant. This agent prevents the blood from clotting, which in turn becomes like a flowing waterfall of blood for the leech to drink freely from. Once filled, the leech will drop off and be filled for months.
I am reminded of the story in the Bible where Joseph is confronted by Potiphar’s wife. Joseph, being a well built man, was taken notice of by her. When she confronted him and gave her offer of a one night fling, he refused (Gen 39:7-8). She, however, was resilient. Day after day she kept coming to Joseph with her offer, and day after day he kept saying no. Seeing she was constantly being denied, she tried another more forceful approach. With the house fully empty, she waited for Joseph. Catching him in her trap, and catching him by the cloak, she offered again, “Come to bed with me.” No matter how many times she approached Joseph, his answer was always the same. Leaving his cloak behind, he left her once again.
Sin is like a blood sucking animal. At times it comes on with pain, like when bitten by a tick, but in most cases sin is sly. Sin comes in with its flashy appearance and a constant hunger for more. This is the anesthetic and anticoagulant agents that work in tandem toward our destruction. Too many times we do not feel the bite and lose our life sustaining fluid before we even know what is happening. Then when sin has had its fill, we are left feeling empty and void. But we should be on the watch for this parasite. We are charged by God to be on guard. Many times we are not like Joseph and run, but rather allow ourselves to stay in the places where sin begins to suck our life.
The example of Joseph should be the rule and not the exception. We should run instead of entertaining the thoughts and temptations of the flash while unknowingly being bitten and deleted of life. Our task, in Ephesians 5:10, is to find out what pleases the Lord. It is this task that we then must do. But it is this task that we cannot do if we continue to let the parasites drain us. I encourage you to leave the cloak behind if you must, but do whatever is needed to free yourself from the life sucking parasite of sin.