Sunday, April 26, 2015

A New Parable

The Kingdom of God is like this:

A certain King had vast holdings of land.  The land produced rich crops, even though it by nature was made of dry and rocky soil.  On his lands the King had a natural spring with put forth copious amounts of water, enough so that a huge reservoir was made to hold enough of the water to withstand many years of drought.  Although the soil was poor, the water contained an unusual amount of nutrients useful to amend the poor soil.  Through use of this water for irrigation, coupled with the husbandry of plants well suited to the amended soil, and superior farming techniques, the King had mastered the art of getting his lands to bring forth abundant fine produce without resorting to harsh and artificial treatments.  The King had one child, a son whom he loved dearly, and taught his son all that he knew.  The son ruled his father's estates as the King's regent, and, through many excellent workers, produced an abundance of food, plenty for all the workers' families, all of whom lived on and worked the King's lands, and shared in their bounty.  There was even enough left over to share with the King's neighbors when they faced hard times.

The King's neighbors, however, resented the King, and were filled with jealousy for the King's bounty, and envious of the good health and well-being of the King, his son, and all his subjects (whom he treated not as vassals but as extended family).  Despite this resentment, the King was generous to his neighbors, offering to provide his water in exchange for only a small portion of their crop yields, as acknowledgment of the source of the water; he also freely gave advice as to what crops would flourish under that water's unique nutrients, and offered as well to instruct them in his well-designed natural farming techniques.  They refused his kindness, insisting that they knew as well as the King how to get a yield out of their own lands; they would brook no instructions from him.  The King's kindness only inflamed their irritation and envy.

Over time, however, one or another of the King's neighbors would fall upon such hard times that they would be forced to abandon their lands.  In rare cases, one of the neighbors would come to the King humbly, saying "you have been right all along, and I have been too stubborn to admit it. I'm ruined now, and must beg for your mercy. Will you rescue my lands and my workers, so that they and their families may live?" The King would welcome such as chose this tack. He agreed that if the neighboring ruler would cede his lands to the King, becoming part of the Kingdom, and agree to farm in the way the King has developed, that the ruler and all his workers would be allowed to stay on those lands and work them, able to share in the bounty that would surely come as the King and his son brought their resources, wisdom and care to those lands.

Most, however, had no interest in being part of the Kingdom, and roughly demanded that if the King was so generous, he should buy their lands from them at an inflated price they claimed was a true market value.  Invariably, the King agreed, paid the price and acquired the lands, but did not allow the ruler and his family to stay on the lands, since it was clear they wanted no part of the King except his money.

To the workers the King offered a choice: "These lands are now mine, bought with a fair price.  Follow your former ruler and seek your fortune elsewhere if you wish, or you may stay on and work these lands, provided you are willing to follow our methods, obeying my son's instruction." Some, acknowledging their need, would accept the King's offer, but most would not, since it appeared to them as charity with a loss of autonomy (as if they had really had any before this.) And so, as one or another neighbor surrendered to the inevitable effects of their poor soil and mis-management, whether by cession or by purchase, the King's lands grew, and his Kingdom expanded.

Frequently the King would lament the stubbornness of his neighbors and their refusal of his generosity, friendship and cooperation.  The King's son shared his father's sadness over this.  One day he went to his father and said: "Father, I have many trusted brothers here who can care for your estate.  Let me go to our neighbors and persuade them of the wisdom of becoming part of your Kingdom; surely they will listen to me if I go in person, and offer to show them how we care for our lands."  The King was glad to hear this from his son, as it had also been in his mind.  Now that his son had made the offer to go spend time with the neighboring rulers, the King felt glad to send his son on this mission to be reconciled with their neighbors, regardless of the fact that any estrangement among them was not at all due to the King's actions.  He was blameless in the separation; rather it was the self-centeredness, pride and hard-heartedness of the neighbors that was to blame.

The King's son, then, left on his mission of reconciliation, and went from neighbor to neighbor to extend a hand of friendship and testify to them again of the King's benevolence and generosity, saying: "Judge for yourselves; what you see of me is what you can also know of my father the King.  We are of one mind."  But one after another refused his offer of reconciliation, and instead spoke harshly of the King's arrogance and condescension, as if the King saw himself as superior to them.  Some went so far as to lay hands on the King's son and expel him from their lands by force.

But always while he spoke to them, some of the neighbors' servants would listen and wish that their rulers would join the Kingdom so that they and their families would have lives worth living, glad for the chance to be working hard for a master who was kind.  The King's son knew this and made sure to tell the servants before he left that they only needed to come to the gates of his father's Kingdom and mention that they wanted to be his brothers, and he, the King's son and regent would vouch for them with the King.  If they came in his name, he knew that the King would say: "if my son says he knows you, then you are welcome here; we will care for you and find you good work to do. Come, take your place in our family!"

So, while the King's son was abused and rejected by their neighbors, he was glad of those few who decided to come and be part of life in the Kingdom, and thought "for that alone, all the rejection was worth it." Yes, there was an adjustment to be made for each one who came, but the King's son and his appointed leaders helped them make the adjustment to the ways of the Kingdom.  Some decided after not too long that they could do better for themselves, adapt what they'd learned here, and be just as well off on their own, without being ruled by anyone, and so left the Kingdom.  Stories of their downfall would drift back to the Kingdom, and there was grief over them.  But, for those willing to leave their former allegiances & identify with the King's son, and embrace the benevolence of the King, they found life in the Kingdom to be a life of joy and abundance, where the hard work they were assigned to restore dry lands to fruitfulness seemed to fit them well, and was not burdensome.  The King's son asked them for no service for which he did not also equip and train them, and so they hardly thought about their life for the joy that pervaded it.

And the Kingdom grew.  As it grew, the lands were transformed, as were the people who worked them.






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