The 1991 movie Oscar, revolves around one central story line: Angelo “Snaps” Provolone, a mob boss who made his fortune during prohibition, promises his dad on his deathbed that he will go straight and become an honest man.
In order to go straight, Snaps decides to buy into a bank and become a member of the Board of Directors.
Despite his sincere intentions to actually go straight, no one in the movie believes him. And because of this, everyone’s choices in the movie are based on the belief that Snaps is still a gangster and not an honest man.
Snaps rivals don’t believe it. Snaps own men don’t believe it and certainly the police do not believe that Snaps wants to make a change in his lifestyle. He wants to keep good his promise. He is going to try anyway.
At the end of the movie, Snaps decides not to go straight and decides against buying into the bank.
Throughout the movie it was obvious that changing was too much of a hassle for Snaps. His men could not change their own behavior. They continued to call him boss and to carry weapons. And even Snaps, despite his best efforts, decides that it just too hard to change his behavior. After an entire day of being “honest”, he realizes that he would rather behave as he used as it was just easier to get things done the way he used to act. Afterall, a leopard cannot change its spots.
Today’s idiom implies that you cannot change or stop who you are innately meant to be. And like all the others, for this expression, we turn to the Bible and the book of Jeremiah.
Chapter 13 begins with the symbol of the Linen Sash. It is quite descriptive.
“Thus says the Lord to me, “Go and buy a linen loincloth and put it around your waist, and do not dip it in water.” So I bought a loincloth according to the word of the Lord, and put it around my waist.
“And the word of the Lord came to me a second time, “Take the loincloth that you have bought, which is around your waist, and arise, go to the Euphrates and hide it there in a cleft of the rock.” So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, as the Lord commanded me.
“And after many days the Lord said to me, “Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take from there the loincloth that I commanded you to hide there.” Then I went to the Euphrates, and dug, and I took the loincloth from the place where I had hidden it. And behold, the loincloth was spoiled; it was good for nothing.
“Then the word of the Lord came to me: “Thus says the Lord: Even so will I spoil the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who stubbornly follow their own heart and have gone after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be like this loincloth, which is good for nothing. For as the loincloth clings to the waist of a man, so I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, declares the Lord, that they might be for me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory, but they would not listen.” Jeremiah 13:1-11 ESV
We cannot begin to wrap our minds around the kind of love God has for His people.
Read again Jeremiah 13:11
“For as the sash clings to the waist of a man, so I have caused the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah to cling to Me,’ says the Lord, ‘that they may become My people, for renown, for praise, and for glory; but they would not hear.’ ” NKJV
“I just got to feel the ‘mother-heart’ of God when I read this verse!...When I read the word ‘cling’ I can only think of the way the baby monkey clings to the mother. Boy, they just attach themselves to their mom, even when the mother monkey jumps from tree to tree, the little one’s grip does not slacken. Monkey grip! That’s exactly how God wants us to cling to Him!...Have you watched an infant cling to the mother and the chemistry they share is unfathomable and unexplainable!” (Source: sermon central dot com - Author Bala Samson)
Jesus wants an intimate, close relationship with us. That is His greatest desire.
If we drop down to verse 23 we read today’s idiom:
“Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard it’s spots…”
We cannot change on our own. It is impossible for us to change behaviors, habits, hang-ups without Christ and the Holy Spirit interfering in our life. We need that so very desperately!
“Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Then may you also do good who are accustomed to do evil.” Jeremiah 13:23 NKJV
In the movie Oscar, Snaps changed his mind because it was too costly to change and because he realized that he would have been less powerful if he did change.
Friend, never let that be your story, because God promises that what is coming next is going to blow our mind! He also promises that with His help, we can change!
2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” ESB
We can get rid of the old self. We can change. We can get rid of our spots, but never without His help.
“Do not change yourselves to be like the people of this world, but be changed within by a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to decide what God wants for you; you will know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect.” Romans 12:2 NCV
by Jeanette Stark – Thursday, July 6, 2023
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