Luke 12:15 (NIV)
Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard
against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of
possessions.”
Once upon a time there was a White Knight looking for
adventure. He came to a village where legends told of a terrible ogre in a pit.
Bravely the White Knight took up the challenge. He would do battle with the
terrible ogre in the pit. The people remembered several courageous men who had
climbed down into the pit, but no one could ever remember one of those
champions returning.
The White Knight stood looking at the deep dark hole. The
opening was so narrow that he stripped himself of armor and all unnecessary
clothing. He took only a long dagger, which he tied around his neck with a
leather strap. After securing a rope at the opening and testing its strength,
he gripped it firmly and began lowering himself, hand under hand, letting the
rope slip between his feet. Soon he felt the smooth cool floor of the chamber.
It took several minutes for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, but soon he
focused on a large mound. Then he realized it was the bones of his
predecessors, along with their assorted weapons. A little way off, he spotted
another mound, but he wasn't sure what it was.
Suddenly he was surprised by the inhabitant of the pit....
surprised because he didn't anticipate the ogre would be only as tall as a
rabbit. The ogre raised its arms and screeched with its squeaky voice, trying
to appear a fierce as possible. The White Knight picked up a sword from the
floor and prepared to do battle, but quick as a rat, the ogre ran into a hole
near the second mound.
The White Knight followed and the second mound became
clearer and again he was surprised. Before his eyes glittered balls of gold as
big as grapefruit and diamonds as big as plums. With only a small part of that
treasure even a commoner would be a prince for life. The ogre lost its
importance in view of this great treasure.
But the Knight had a problem. How would he carry it out
of the hole? He had no pockets. Who would believe him if he didn't bring back
at least a piece?
He suddenly had an idea. He would take one of the
diamonds in his mouth and carry it that way until he climbed out of the hole.
He could always come back later for the rest. Hurriedly he chose one of the larger
diamonds. It fit comfortably into his mouth and he began the arduous climb out
of the pit, hand over hand, gripping the rope with his feet. Higher and higher
he climbed until the heavy exertion began to render him breathless. He would
have to breathe through his mouth in order to get enough air. As he took a
large gulp of air, the diamond slipped and stuck in his
throat. The White Knight choked on his treasure, lost consciousness, and fell
to his death on the mound of bones below.
You see, the terrible ogre in the pit was not the little
troll. The ogre in the pit was greed....greed in the hearts of men who desire
easy treasure and the hope of unearned gain. The glitter of this world choked
him to death.
Dear Lord as we enter this New Year we pray that out eyes
and thoughts would be focused upon You and not the things that are there trying
to get our attention. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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