Engaging Our Culture: July 13-Overwhelmed by Guilt

Video of the Day: Clip from the 1986 movie “The Color of Money” (language warning)

Bible Verse of the Day:

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. ⁹ But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” ¹⁰ He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” ¹¹ And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” ¹² The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” ¹³ Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” ¹⁴ So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life, Genesis 3:8-14.

Biblical Connection:

In the context of the Color of Money, a hustler is an expert gambler who seeks out unsuspecting amateurs to win money from them. Paul Newman meets Tom Cruise, recruits him and teaches him how to become a pool hustler. However, when the student tricks his master by throwing a match in a professional tournament, Newman forfeits his next match, overwhelmed by conviction.

This is how Adam and Eve felt after breaking the only rule God set for them in the Garden of Eden. Rather than display class like Newman, Adam and Eve play the blame game, not taking full responsibility. Adam blames God while Eve accuses the Devil of foul play. The next time you find yourself overwhelmed by guilt, do it the right thing by pleading with God for forgiveness.

Closing Song:

Sometimes the least likely person ends up setting the example that others need to follow. As the Violet Burning bring a passage from the Bible to life, a humble and guilt-ridden harlot washes Jesus’ feet with perfume. This is the manner in which sinners need to confront God with the errors of their way. Go and do likewise.

by Jay Mankus