“Andy and the Gentleman Crook”
The Mayberry jail has a celebrity visitor, Gentleman Dan Caldwell. Mr. Caldwell has a reputation and has spent time in all the well- known prisons and is spending a short time in Mayberry before they move him to another location. Barney is beside himself making preparations for their famous visitor and is so impressed that Mr. Caldwell calls him by name. As a matter fact, Mr. Caldwell has a gift for connecting with people and winning them over. But is he really a gentleman?
People Aren’t Always What They Seem (Genesis 29:25)
When
morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, "What is this you have
done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn't I? Why have you deceived me?"
19Don't bother your head with braggarts or wish you could succeed like the wicked.
20Those people have no future at all; they're headed down a dead-end street
Past Behavior Determines Future Actions
1. Should Andy have given Barney another chance with the bullet? Why didn’t Andy put a halt to Barney’s frenzy of activity over Mr. Caldwell’s visit?
2. Have you ever met someone who you thought was so special that you just wanted them to notice you? Looking back, were you deceived by their popularity or how cool they were and failed to see who they really were?
3. In an example from some of the headlines we’ve seen, if someone robs their employer or molests a child, would you say that based on past behavior, this person should have some judgment placed on her/him to curb the same type of action happening in the future?