Galatians 4:17 - The Russian Con Artist

Taking a break from teaching at a Bible college in Kursk, Russia, I went with a friend who was my translator to the local open-air market. The market was divided into sections by walkways. Each side of the walkways had tents and awnings with vendors selling basic goods for Russians as well as gifts and crafts for tourists.

It's best to barter in small denomination rubles, and I needed to exchange a US $100 bill. My translator said he could help me avoid transaction fees at a bank or currency exchange. Not wanting to flash around cash from my money belt, I gave him a $100 bill before we arrived at the market.

When we got there, I noticed that there were several men, dressed in long-sleeve black shirts and black pants, standing at the corners where the walkways intersected. My translator approached one of the men in black and explained that we had $100 US to exchange for Russian rubles. The man took my $100 bill and held it up to the sunlight, diligently "inspecting" for the metal strip, making sure I wasn't passing off a counterfeit, that my money was good enough for him. He then folded it up and handed it back to my translator friend, explaining that he would have to get correct change from one of his friends in black.

Whether for purchases or currency exchange, Russians generally want to be presented with crisp, new, unfolded US currency. It seemed not merely odd, but downright rude that he took my crisp, new, unfolded $100 bill and folded it up before returning it to my translator. As he walked away, my friend handed the bill back to me. I unfolded it. It had already been exchanged... for a one dollar bill! The man in black had disappeared--with all of his fellow con artists.

Be wary of people who act as if you are the one who should be under suspicion, who act is if they are doing you a favor to trust you, that you need to live up to their expectations. This is true not only of men dressed in black in an open-air market, it can also be true of religious groups and gurus. As Paul said, 

"...they wish to shut you out so that you will seek them." (Galatians 4:17B, New American Standard 1995)

Father in heaven, help us discern the difference between someone challenging us to live a better, more authentic Christian life... and when they are trying to play some spiritual hard-to-get game just to seem superior and worth emulating. We want to know You better as the standard of what is genuine spirituality. In Jesus' name, Amen.