Sunday, May 18, 2008

A POWERFUL AESOP'S FABLE

The Man, the Boy, and the Donkey

A Man and his son were once going with their Donkey to market. As they were walking along by its side a countryman passed them and said: "You fools, what is a Donkey for but to ride upon?"

So the Man put the Boy on the Donkey and they went on their way. But soon they passed a group of men, one of whom said: "See that lazy youngster, he lets his father walk while he rides."

So the Man ordered his Boy to get off, and got on himself. But they hadn't gone far when they passed two women, one of whom said to the other: "Shame on that lazy lout to let his poor little son trudge along."

Well, the Man didn't know what to do, but at last he took his Boy up before him on the Donkey. By this time they had come to the town, and the passers-by began to jeer and point at them. The Man stopped and asked what they were scoffing at. The men said: "Aren't you ashamed of yourself for overloading that poor donkey of yours and your hulking son?"

The Man and Boy got off and tried to think what to do. They thought and they thought, till at last they cut down a pole, tied the donkey's feet to it, and raised the pole and the donkey to their shoulders. They went along amid the laughter of all who met them till they came to Market Bridge, when the Donkey, getting one of his feet loose, kicked out and caused the Boy to drop his end of the pole. In the struggle the Donkey fell over the bridge, and his fore-feet being tied together he was drowned.

"That will teach you," said an old man who had followed them:
"Please all, and you will please none."

Someone shared this with me a couple of weeks ago and it ministered deeply to me. I changed the moral to “If you are pleasing man - you cannot please God” or "If you are agreeing with the enemy - you are sinning"

The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. He said to them, You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight. Luke 16:14-15

How often do we change our direction because we want to please man or because we have bought the enemies lie? We forget what Psalm 32:8 says...I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;I will counsel you and watch over you.

2 comments:

Sheila said...

Mari, you wrote that just for me I think!!!!!

THANK YOU for sharing it! Wow!

That's exactly what the Lord has been speaking to my heart, "Just set your eyes on me Sheila, though the accusations and voices around you may be threatening or disheartening, set your eyes on Me. Do everything, "As unto the Lord."

Thanks so much for sharing this me. I'm going to post a link to it on my blog.

I'm glad to get to meet you too and look forward to visiting you at your blog in the future.

:)
Sheila

Jamie {See Jamie blog} said...

I did read this on your blog, and yes, it's very cool when God does stuff like that!

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