The Farmer and the King

There once was a young man.  He was modest and pure, and largely content with his life.  He worked the fields of his family without complaint or discontent.  One evening, while weeding his crop, a man dressed in fine clothes came to him and begged water to quench his thirst.  The young man fetched the water readily and gave the man to drink.  Not only this, but he fetched the man a loaf of bread and block of cheese to eat.  When his thirst was sated and his hunger appeased, the older man looked to the younger and complimented his generosity.  He handed the young man a few coins in payment, but the young man pressed them back into the older man’s hands.  When asked why he refused payment, the young man smiled and simply said:

“What you have received was not mine to give, but the gift of Heaven.”

The man was astonished at the young man’s humility, and sought to question him further.

“To what do you aspire?”  He asked pointedly.

“I have been taught to be a good steward of all that I have been blessed with.  To that end I desire naught but to be a good son, a good worker, and someday a good husband and father.  And when it is time to inherit all that my father has, I pray that I am half the man that he has been.”

The older man was further astonished by the youth’s words, and he marveled greatly as they stood in borders of the field.

“Such a rare man, I have found in you.”  He told the young farmer.  “In you I have discovered kindness, and charity.  In you I have uncovered humility.”  He spread his arms wide.  “I have travelled the width and breadth of the world, and in every corner I find nothing but greed and the desire to hoard.  In every city they buy and sell of every commodity, and the worth of man’s souls are measured in the weight of gold and silver.  Why are you so different?”

The young man thought for a time, and then pointed to the setting sun.

“Can you create for me such a wondrous gift as that?”  He asked.


“No.”  The older man admitted.  “It is beyond me.”

The young man pointed to a tall fruit tree that cast long shadows against his small home.

“Can you make for me the seed that can blossom a tree, in this moment, as splendid or as bountiful as that?”

“I cannot.”

“What treasure then, could you give me that is the equal of the wealth that surrounds us?  And in turn, who am I to charge for that which has been so freely given?”

The older man smiled, and thought to confound the boy’s argument and teach the boy some worldly wisdom.

“Alas, your youth shines through, young son.  This land can be bought with gold and silver.”

The boy smiled and nodded, then pointed back to the trees and the majestic sky.

“Pray, good father, who is the author of such beauty; Man or God?”

The wealthy man weighed his words carefully, but could not deny the truth he knew to be in his heart.

“Surely, it must be God.”

“And did he sell it to the kings of old as property?”

“No.”  The man bowed his head in shame.  “It was gifted freely.”

“If it was a gift, then who are we to lay claim on that which was freely given to all?”

The man, who in truth was the king of the kingdom round about, left the young farmer with heavy thoughts.  But his arms were not empty, for the boy had further shared of his field and of his home to ensure the man’s comfort in his journey.  His heart was heavy with the boy’s message, and he kept the meaning of it within his soul all the rest of his days.  And his rule was just and generous.  When his sons grew, he taught them the lesson; and his kingdom prospered unlike any other from that day forth.

The young man grew to be an old man, and upon his death the sons of the king gathered round about his humble home.  They were received openly, and generously gifted of everything that the farmer’s family had.  And they spoke freely of all that the man had taught their father.  And on that day there were no princes or farm boys.  There were only men, and they saw eye to eye and were one family.

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There are morals to be found in all things and all places, but when we look into the beautiful sunsets and round about this magnificent world we live in we must remember that it is not ours to own.  We are but stewards of all that we have, whether it be physical wealth, rich talents, an abundance of knowledge and wisdom, or the simple beauty of testimony.  Recognizing the fruitful blessings that Heaven has poured out upon us, how can we not share as freely as God has given?

Have a wonderful week!
Jeffrey