Long ago, in the days fairies and other magical creatures roamed about, five royal guards led forth their charges roughly depositing them before the judgment seat of the high counsel of the kingdom. There the two men in chains knelt on their knees. They looked up at the magistrate who would decide their fate. From their lowly position they could not see his face clearly but could only imagine contempt in his eyes.
Their judge’s voice boomed. “What have you to say about yourselves?”
The prisoner on the left began his story not daring to lift his head to look the man in the eye. “We are two out of three brothers, sir. Our father was a king who heard a wonderful tale of a tailor’s encounter with a fairy. While wandering through a deep forest this good man discovered her imprisoned in a cage of iron. Ogres had placed her there out of pure spite. Since as you probably know fairies cannot touch iron which is poisonous to their kind, she implored the tailor to free her. This he did, and the grateful sprite rewarded her benefactor with the gift to make the finest clothes in the land. Whatever he touched turned into the finest fabric out of which he made garments beyond compare.
“When our father heard this tale, being a king and wishing the best for himself and his family, he sent for the tailor and commissioned him to make clothing for each of his sons. He demanded that these be grander than anything ever made before. The tailor had no desire to disappoint a king as powerful as our father, but he had made so many fine things he had no idea how to outdo what he had already done. And so, he returned to the forest to find the fairy and tell her his plight. When he found her under a grand beech tree she told him, “Do not worry, my good man. You have been kind to me, so I will not fail you now. Make two garments as grand as you now know to do. The third is to be such as worn by a humble servant. And though it will appear plain, the wearer of it will not be disappointed. I will grant a special gift to the wearer of each garment. The gift of the plain one will be better than the others.
“The tailor returned to his shop and did as the fairy said. The first garment he fashioned was a coat made with gold and silver thread, befitting what a mighty general would wear into battle. Next, he fashioned a brightly colored vest featuring diamonds and other jewels befitting a man of great wealth. The third garment was a jerkin made from rough cloth befitting that worn by a humble servant.
“I, being the oldest of the three had the first choice. The hold of the general’s garment caught my eye. I seized it for my own and discovered it conveyed the gift to lead men to victory in battle. With this gift I conquered many lands and became feared among men. But my lieutenants became jealous of me and plotted my overthrow. They forced me from my own land stripping me of my splendid cloak. I fell in with a band of thieves to make a living. We ravaged your country near and far until the soldiers of this land caught up with us. My companions escaped leaving me to face your justice.” The prisoner lowered his head having nothing more to say.
The magistrate leaned back in his chair. “Hmm. So, am I to understand your present predicament is not of your own doing?”
The man before him sat in silence with his head bowed. His judge turned to the other man kneeling in his presence.
As the man before him this prisoner too did not look up. “It is as my brother said. I, being the second oldest, grabbed the rich man’s clothes. Its rich jewels were so pleasant to my eyes, and I could not imagine wearing the other choice. I would not dress as a peasant. I left it to our youngest brother.
“l soon found that I when I wore my garment, I had the gift of making money hand over fists. Everything I touched turned to riches but at the cost of those around me. This didn’t bother me at all since I enjoyed my wealth to the fullest. What did it matter to me if others were ruined in my rise to riches? I had what I wanted. But I soon found that others wanted what I had and would stop at nothing to get it. Thieves and scoundrels, including my closest associates me, took all that I had. Deprived of my wealth I was cast into the streets, penniless. I wandered until I, too, came to your country. Here I tried old schemes that had worked for me when I had my golden vest. But without the fairy’s gift my schemes failed, but not before my victims had been defrauded of their savings. And so, I kneel here before you having been arrested as a fraud and a swindler.”
The man in the judgment seat scowled but the two men before him with bowed heads did not see. “You both confess to your wrong doings. Is there any reason I should show you mercy?”
The man on the left, lifted his head slightly. “We beg for our father’s sake. We are but victims, sire. If only our father knew that these garments bore curses rather than blessings.”
“Is that so?” said the judge. “Tell me what became of the third brother who wore the servant’s jerkin?”
The first man in chains kept his head bowed. “That neither of us know for sure. No doubt he has been enslaved by some cruel master if the curse has fallen on him as it did on us.”
“A cruel master, indeed.” The magistrate said. “You who kneel before me, rise.”
The two men in chains did so and discovered in wonder that they stared into the face of their brother they had not seen since the day they each chose their special garments. Their brother, the magistrate that now held their fates in his hand, spoke. “What you call curses were gifts that your hearts turned awry. It was not the garments that caused your misery but you received the consequences that came as a result of what dwelt in your own hearts.
You, my brother with the general’s coat, used the gift to advance your own desire for glory and power not understanding that what rises must fall. And you, my brother with the gold vest used your gift to satisfy your greed in and are now suffering because this same greed lies in the hearts of others. But I took the jerkin of a servant, and wore it without shame. When I did, I found it carried the gift of humility. Through this I learned to seek the welfare of others. The more I served, the more resources I received with which to serve. I too, gained the ability to rule over men, but out of desire and devotion not because they had to obey me. And I gained riches which I gave away to those in need. The king of this land heard of my deeds and raised me to this position where you stand before me.”
The men in chains stared at their brother awaiting his judgment.
“Now my brothers, you ask for mercy. This I will freely give, but you must come to live with me in my master’s house where we can have fellowship together. Otherwise, you are to go where your deeds lead.”
The judge’s brothers stared at one another. Neither said what was in his mind, and neither could stand the thought that their younger brother had succeeded when they had not. Sadly, they turned away to follow their guards into prison. Pride kept them from accepting the grace offered to them by the man of humility.
And so, my readers, you may be wondering how unrealistic this story is that anyone offered such a reprieve would refuse, but it is happening everyday when men refuse to accept the invitation of the humble Servant Who left the splendor that was His, and came to earth to live and die for all who will receive His invitation for life in his Father’s house forever.