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Jan 09, 2026 06:00am

Don’t Open That Cage: When Love Sounds Like a Warning

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“Do Not Open That Cage!”

The sixth-grade class was taking a field trip to a wildlife center. The kids had been buzzing all week with excitement. Their teacher had given each of them a brochure listing all the animals and displays they would see.

Birds, frogs, lizards, ducks, raccoons, fish, alligators, deer, and snakes.

Two boys huddled together with their brochures on the bus ride to the center.

Bobby and Todd had been best friends since kindergarten, always looking out for one another. Todd talked nonstop about the snakes they would see. He couldn’t wait to see the rattlesnakes and was completely enamored with them.

But Bobby wasn’t as excited. He had heard how dangerous they could be.

The kids received their final instructions from their teachers, scurried off the bus, and made their way inside, chattering about everything they saw.

After a while, the two boys became separated from the main group. Todd wanted to stay a little longer in the snake area.

“Look how cool the markings are on this rattlesnake! And look at that tail! Have you ever seen anything so amazing?” Todd said.

Bobby listened as Todd went on about his fascination with the snakes, but truthfully, he didn’t like them at all.

“I’ve never felt a snake. Have you?” Todd asked.

“No, and I don’t want to,” Bobby replied. “You can’t trust them. They might seem calm and harmless, but remember what we learned about their fangs and venom?”

“Yeah, but if you’re really quick, I bet it would be fine,” Todd said. “I’m fast. I could just slide my hand in real quick, touch it, and pull my hand back out before it even knows it.”

“No way! That’s how they take down their prey. They’re fast! You aren’t faster than a snake.”

Todd felt challenged. “Wanna bet?”

Bobby was filled with dread.

“Todd, no. This isn’t right. This is dangerous. You’re going to get hurt.”

Now Todd was getting angry.

“You just don’t want me to because you’re no fun. You don’t want me to have fun. This is no big deal. I see people do it all the time.”

Bobby felt panic rising as he spoke. “Todd, seriously. This is stupid. Let’s go. We need to get out of here.”

But Todd wasn’t listening and made his way toward the snake enclosure.

“Todd, don’t!”

Bobby noticed a latch on the top lid.

“I just want to see what it feels like. Quit being a baby,” Todd snapped.

“I’m going to get one of the workers or our teacher. You’re acting crazy!”

“If you tell on me or stop me, you’re not my friend!”

And with that, Todd reached up and began to unhinge the latch.

Bobby screamed, “Don’t open that cage!”

Galatians 4:16 says, “Have I now become your enemy because I am telling you the truth?”

Paul loved the people of Galatia. He saw their need for Jesus and shared the truth with them about who He was. He taught them how to follow Christ with their lives. But false teachers came in and told them Paul hadn’t shared the whole truth, claiming salvation required both faith in Jesus and obedience to the Jewish law.

When Paul heard this, he wrote to bring them back to the truth. He knew correction would be difficult and that some would be angry. But Paul loved them deeply and wanted to protect them.

Doesn’t it seem strange that when we try to protect others from harm, we are often accused of hatred or control?

Why do we become the enemy the moment we tell the truth?

Because sin doesn’t want to hear the truth. Sin wants to believe it’s no big deal. Everyone else is doing it. It’s just this once. This is who I am. If you don’t accept it, you must hate me.

Are you willing to share the truth about Jesus anyway?

Then do it out of love, not condemnation. Share the truth the way Jesus would. Offer the hope, healing, and freedom found in Christ.

If you want to know more about that hope and freedom, visit follow.lifeword.org or follow.lifeword.org/spanish to learn who Jesus is and what it means to follow Him.