One of the curses we have learned to live with in Virginia is the brown marmorated stink bug. This is the official name of the pest that arrived in the US from Asia some 20 years ago that has now spread throughout much of the nation. Although similar in appearance to some native species, this particular critter has exploded in population and cost orchardists and gardeners millions of dollars in crop damage. It has also learned to infiltrate our homes and sometimes turns up in unusual places.
Several months back, I fixed Nancy her cup of morning coffee which she normally enjoys greatly. After one sip that day, however, her face drew into knots and her mouth revolted at the initial taste. I inspected her cup and dumped it out but found no reason for the foul flavor. 
When I tried my cup of joe, it was likewise nauseating. Recognizing that the taste resembled the smell of something familiar, I dug a little deeper. Sure enough, floating in the coffee pot was the carcass of the unwanted Asian immigrant. Although we normally enjoy our flavored coffees, this particular variation was definitely not added to our list of preferences.
This nasty insect had evidently found its way into the pot during the night after the coffee maker was filled and programed for its morning cycle. As such, it managed not only to foul Nancy’s cup and my own, but every drop of coffee in the entire pot. After giving the six legged intruder its burial at sea in the depths of our kitchen drain and thoroughly washing all the infected pieces, I brewed another pot that was missing the abhorrent taste and which satisfied our morning cravings.
This unusual episode reminded me of the Biblical story in 2 Kings 4 about how the prophet Elisha encountered a similar but more deadly situation. Someone had unwittingly gathered some poisonous wild gourds and thrown them into the simmering stew. When folks began to draw out the soup and taste it, they, like Nancy, immediately recognized something amiss. Led by the Holy Spirit, Elisha directed them to add some flour which counteracted whatever toxin was present and instead of throwing it out and starting over, they all enjoyed a good meal.
This also reminded me of the universality of sin. When hearing of serial killers and child molesters, we all like to put them in a different category or cup from ourselves. Those individuals are so evil that they have nothing at all in common with us, we believe. The reality, however, is that we’ve all come from the same infected pot.
Although God set up the perfect original brew, the sin crawled in early on and polluted Adam and Eve. Since they became the parents of all humans, the corruption was passed on to every single person and the entire pot of humanity has become toxic. Some of our sins might not smell as bad to us as others, but the same deadly ingredient infuses each human heart and the results for each of us will be just as fatal according to Romans 6:23.
In His grace and mercy, God had to not just sweeten the pot, but to save it. To do so, He introduced His own Son into the mix to counteract and absorb our sin. He is like a wick that sucks out the poison and leaves behind a substance that is pure and untainted.
Instead of casting Him into the whole pot, however, we each must invite Him into the individual cups of our own souls. Jesus will not force Himself on anyone but freely offers Himself to each person who wants to become delightful and useful. He comes in response to our invitation and does His redeeming and transformative work within us. What’s left behind is a soul that is pleasing to God and useful for His highest purposes.
As we guard our coffee pots and mugs from the stink bugs, let us invite Jesus to work in our lives to absorb our poisonous sin and leave behind His sweetness and delectability. Only He can redeem, restore, and make us delicious.
Enjoying every cup, George