In a world where pesticides are frowned upon and where pesky insects thrive, one has to be quite crafty in order to combat for the survival of our food source.

Take apple orchards for example. Their fruit can be kept without decay throughout the year in cold rooms, and it is a semi-delight (Not all teachers like apples for some reason) for teachers whose students sometimes reward them with these. This fruit is prone to the attack of an insect smaller than a house fly called an apple maggot. The name isn’t too flattering, is it?

The larva of these tiny insects is the cause of irreparable damage to the delicious apples that the eager students patiently await. The female maggot is the one who lays her eggs on the fruit’s surface, but it is so tiny, resembling a small pinprick, that is quite difficult to detect.

Once the eggs hatch, the larva tunnel themselves into the fruit where they eat the delicious pulp. As the larva grow, the tunnels become larger and they begin to discolour and decay. Who would have believed all that railroad work in a simple not-as-desirable apple?

After three to four weeks, most contaminated apples fall to the ground. The apple maggot larva leaves the confines of its earlier home and tunnels inside the soil (They sure do like to dig!). Here they begin to form a cocoon and they go dormant. The cocoons can remain in the earth for up to five year!

Quite a costly nuisance for those who grow apples for their livelihood! Until one of them developed the apple maggot trap, that is. Looking just like an apple, the red plastic spheres in the apple trees appeal to the maggot flies, as for some reason they can’t tell the difference from the fake ones and the real ones! As these traps are more colourful than the rest of the developing fruit, they land on the sphere and become literal stuck on its adhesive surface. Had they understood what was awaiting them, they would have stayed far away from those lovely spheres!

It is true that the evil one often uses similar tactics to get us hooked on things that we never wanted to be hooked on. By making it so attractive, we fall for the bait, and become “stuck” to that irritating red sphere called addiction!

The good news is that someone far above the evil one also devised a trap, and this one is for our salvation. Unlike the apple producers who safely lay their traps in the trees, this trap cost its Owner’s life. But He gave it willingly, because He loves us. The trap was too irresistible for the evil one, who couldn’t help but boast about putting the Son of God to a shameful death. Had he understood it, he too would have stayed away!

“No, we speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” (1 Cor 2:7-9 NIV)

The one tempting us to oblivion is now history, for anyone who has fallen prey to his lies can become truly free from the traps he has laid for us.

“And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” (Col 2:15 NIV)

The One who now triumphs is the One who willingly died for each one of us, then rose three days later and is now offering triumphant living to anyone who accepts His gift. No longer do we have to stay captive to the lies of the evil one. The truth set forth by the One called the Christ will set us free!

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32 NIV)

This is a great cause for rejoicing and giving of thanks to the One who freed us!

Who needs apple maggots anyway? They keep us from enjoying the real juicy apples.

Rob Chaffart

(To access the entire “The Heart of the Matter” devotional series, please click here.)