Two students were taking organic chemistry at the university. Having done well in their in-term work and labs, they were both going into the final exam with solid A’s. So far so good. Trouble was, they were so confident that they decided to party the night before the big test. It was a great night; one thing led to another, and they ended up sleeping late the following morning.
They missed the exam! Disasterville!
Being inventive souls, though, they went to see the professor to explain that they had been visiting a sick, out-of-town friend the night before. On the way home they had got a flat tire. With no spare tire and no car jack they were stranded. They could only manage to hitch a lift back to town mid-morning, which is why they missed the test. They were really sorry to have missed the exam, they said (they were so looking forward to it!) but wondered whether they might be able to take it that afternoon.
The professor thought about it for a moment and decided that this would be permissible since they hadn’t had time to discuss the exam with any of the students who had already taken it. After a short break for lunch the two students were ready for the test. The professor placed them in separate rooms, handed each of them an exam booklet, and told them to begin.
Page one, question one. A simple one for 5 points. This will be easy! Having answered the first question each of the students turned the page for question number two:
It read: “Which tire?” (95 points).
Where to Take It from Here…
The first thing those students realized when they saw the final question was that their professor wasn’t nearly as stupid as they thought he was. Second, they realized that they were caught in a lie with no way out.
If you’ve ever been caught in a lie, you already know that lying makes it impossible for anyone to trust you. The Bible emphatically urges honesty. The admonition to tell the truth is one of the Ten Commandments. Jesus taught that “the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).
