Deacon Jude Tam Tran

THE ORANGE

“There is still one thing you lack. Sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow Me.” — Mark 10:21; Luke 18:22

In the thick green forests of Africa, where sunlight flickers through tall canopies and the air hums with life, hunters have practiced a particular technique for generations. It requires no guns, no traps lined with teeth, no elaborate chase—only a coconut, a ripe orange, and the predictable stubbornness of a monkey.

The method is simple. First, a hunter splits open a coconut and hollows out its center until it becomes a perfect spherical chamber. In one half, he carves a hole just wide enough for a monkey to slip its hand through. Then, in the other half, he places a ripe, fragrant orange—the kind that bursts with sweetness, the kind no monkey can resist. The two halves are fastened together, tied to a tree with a rope, and left behind as the hunters disappear into the shadows.

Inevitably, a monkey swings through the trees, catching a whiff of citrus in the air. Curious, hungry, and bold, it scampers to the coconut, examines it, and discovers the hidden treasure inside. It slips its slender hand into the hole, feels the smooth round orange, and closes its fingers tightly around it.

Only then does the real trap spring—not with metal or rope, but with the monkey’s own desire.

Because once its fist closes around the orange, its hand becomes too large to pull back out through the hole. Try as it might—yanking, twisting, squealing with effort—the orange will not fit through the opening. Of course, the orange won’t come out; it’s too big for the hole. To no avail the persistent monkey continues to pull and pull, never realizing the danger it is in.

While the monkey struggles with the orange, the hunters quietly approach. Their steps are careful, their movements slow and steady. The monkey, panicked and squealing, keeps pulling desperately at the orange, never realizing that the actual danger is not the coconut, not the hole, but its own unwillingness to let go.

In moments, a net is cast over the small creature. The monkey is captured—not because the hunters were stronger, not because the trap was unbeatable, but because it clung to something it should have released.

It is easy to shake our heads at the monkey. Why won’t you just drop the orange? Why cling to something that is costing you your freedom—maybe even your life?

But human beings are not very different. We each have our own “orange”:

• a grudge that we keep replaying,
• a habit we know is destroying us,
• a relationship we refuse to release,
• a resentment we polish like a trophy,
• a possession or status that defines us,
• a fear that controls our decisions,
• a plan for the future that we grasp so tightly that God cannot guide us in any other direction.

Our fist stays closed because letting go feels like losing. Yet holding on often becomes the true prison.

This is like what Jesus advises the rich young man. He sees him in danger of losing his chance for eternal life on account of his fixation on money. So, he advises him to turn his back on wealth and save his life

This wealthy young man with sincere intentions and a troubled heart had lived a good life, done all the right things, and wanted eternal life. But something held him captive. Jesus saw it immediately. He looked at the young man with love and said:

“There is still one thing you lack. Sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow Me.” — Mark 10:21, Luke 18:22

It was the same as telling the monkey, “Let go of the orange.”

But the young man could not. Scripture says the young man went away sad, because he had great wealth. He wasn’t trapped by money—he was trapped by his inability to release it.

Like the monkey, he was holding something that was holding him.

In life, God often calls us to let something go—not because He wants us to suffer loss, but because He wants us to escape the trap.

He whispers to our hearts:

• Release that anger—it is poisoning you.
• Release that fear—it is caging you.
• Release that unhealthy habit—it is stealing your future.
• Release that need for control—it is keeping you from trusting Me.
• Release that resentment—it is chaining your spirit.
• Release that relationship that is drawing you away from who you are becoming.

God isn’t trying to take from us. He is trying to free us.

We all have an orange in some form. The question isn’t whether we’re holding something—it’s whether what we’re holding is trapping us. Letting go is not weakness. The wisdom is recognizing God’s call and trusting God who calls us to open our hands and will not leave them empty

The voice of Jesus is not the voice of a hunter. It is the voice of a rescuer calling from the edge of danger. May we each find the courage to release what holds us captive—and step into the life, the peace, and the possibility that has been waiting for us all along.