Ok, here is the first of my three parables. I'm slightly more long-winded than Jesus...I need to work on being more concise. But seeing as he's God, the original storyteller, I'm not beating myself up too much. :)
Debts Paid in Full
I
There once was a very wealthy man who owned great riches and vast amounts of land. One beautiful, sunny day the rich man decided to go for a drive and visit a small town not far from his estate. He entered the town and found an outdoor café where he could enjoy the day and watch the people walking by. He smiled at the flowers in bloom and the birds singing in the trees. He observed the passers-by and imagined who they might be and the ambitions, hopes, and concerns they might have. As he sat he heard snippets of a conversation that caught his attention.
Three men sat at a nearby table, deep in discussion. It seemed that the three men had fallen on hard times. They had lost their jobs and incurred very large amounts of debt. All three feared that soon they would lose their homes and they and their families would find themselves on the streets. Even if they were able to find jobs now, their debts had grown so large they would never pay it off. The conversation lulled as the men stared at their cups of water which they had not touched. With nothing left to say they parted and wished each other better fortunes tomorrow. The rich man thought for a moment, went to the counter and asked the names of the men who had been at the table. He then went directly to the bank and paid all three men’s debts in full, promising to also pay any debts that the men would incur in the future.
II
A few days later the rich man decided to visit the three men and see how they were doing. As he drove up to the first man’s house he noticed a ‘for sale’ sign in the front yard. He smiled thinking the man must be doing so well he had decided to move his family into a nicer house. He parked on the street and walked to the front door. As he did so the door opened a crack and worried eyes peered out of the dark inside. “Who is it?” called an angry voice. The rich man was taken aback, “Just a friend coming to see how you fare.” “Ha! A debt collector. Go away,” said the man as he slammed the door shut. The rich man was very confused. Why would the man be afraid of debt collectors? Perhaps he had not yet heard the good news. Assuming this must be the case he knocked on the door, “Sir, I have good news for you. You never need to worry about another debt collector again.” The man’s voice came muffled from behind the closed door, “What are you going to try and sell me now? You’re wasting your time. I don’t have any money. Now go away!” The rich man laughed, “Sir, you don’t understand. I’m not selling anything. You see, I paid your debts – all of it, and then some. Come celebrate with me!” The door flung open with a bang, but the man who emerged was not rejoicing, he looked furious. The man glared at the rich man, “How dare you come here spouting nonsense, laughing and joking while I’m in trouble! No one is going to pay my debt for me, it’s much too large. Who would do that? It’s ridiculous! Besides, I can take care of myself. Even if someone did offer to pay for it I would never accept. I’ll work hard, dodge creditors, and make my own way.” The rich man interrupted, “Sir, I’m not offering, I already paid it, whether you want it or not.” “Enough!” said the man, “Stand out here all day if you want, but I have work to do!” With that he went back in his house and slammed the door once again. The rich man slowly walked back to his car, tears in his eyes. He should have been angry, but he felt so sorry for this man – he would spend his whole life slaving away to pay a debt that he could never pay, a debt that was already gone. The rich man got in his car, wondering if the other two men were doing any better.
As the rich man drove up to the second man’s house he saw the man sitting on the front porch watching the road. The rich man parked and the man came up and greeted him, “Good afternoon Sir, what brings you to my home today?” The rich man relaxed. So far the reaction was better. He smiled, “I’ve come to make sure you’ve heard the good news. Your debts have been paid. You never need to worry about money again. Let’s go-” “You’re him!” interrupted the man, “I can’t thank you enough! You have no idea!” The rich man grinned and opened his mouth to reply, but was cut-off. “Wait here! I have something for you!” the man shouted as he ran into the house. Once again the rich man was left standing confused outside. Eventually the man reemerged carrying a small white envelope which he shoved into the rich man’s hands. “Here,” he said not able to look him in the eye, “It’s not much, but it’s all I have right now. I’ll give you more when I get it.” The rich man opened the envelope and saw a few tattered bills. “What is this?” The man looked up at him, “I told you, it’s all I have! Isn’t that enough for you?” The rich man held out the envelope, “I don’t want you to pay me. It was a gift.” The man looked down at the envelope, then back at the rich man, “You paid all my debt, and I know it was no small amount. The guys at the bank say you even promised to pay my future debt. How can you not want something in return? You’re obviously a great guy, I mean, I’m really thankful for what you did for me, but you must want something from me.” The rich man laughed, “Do you know who I am? I don’t need anything from you. Just come celebrate with me. Let’s enjoy each other’s company.” The man stared at him, trying to comprehend what he had just said. “But you might change your mind and decide I’m not worth it. I can’t afford that. I’ll pay you small payments when I can… I’ll give to the poor! See, I can learn from you! As long as you’re paying for me, I can help others. Would you like that? Will that keep us on good terms?” “I would be thrilled if you gave to the poor,” replied the rich man, “but not if it’s just because you think you need to earn my favor.” “Say no more,” cut in the man, “I’ll do more than you can imagine! I’ll work so hard… you’ve never seen a better worker! I’ll spend every spare moment volunteering. I’ll even make my kids do it! You chose the right guy! I’ll make it worth your money, don’t you worry.” The man began walking back to his house. The rich man called after him, “Won’t you come with me?” “No time,” shouted the man over his shoulder, “I’ve got to get busy!” With that he walked into the house and shut the door. Feeling completely rejected the rich man returned to his car. He sat staring at the dash and the tears returned to his eyes. He wanted to give this man a gift, but the man had turned it into an even greater burden. Not only would he spend his life trying to repay the enormous debt, but he would be forever worried about keeping the rich man’s favor. As he turned the key in the ignition he wondered if it was even worth going to see the third man.
When the rich man pulled up to the third house he saw the man on his hands and knees working in the yard. The rich man took a deep breath and got out of the car. The man got up to greet the visitor, “It’s a beautiful afternoon isn’t it?” The rich man looked at the many newly planted flowers, “It is. You’ve been busy.” The man wiped his hands on his pants, “That I have. You will never believe what has happened. I had fallen on hard times… I can’t tell you how bad it was. I was going to lose everything. Then, miraculously, someone paid all my debts! I don’t know how he even knew! But he did. My wife has wanted flowers out here for so long, but I couldn’t do even that for her. But now, thanks to him – now she will have the most beautiful yard in the neighborhood!” The rich man smiled, “I am certain she will.” The man looked at his handiwork with pride then back to the rich man, “Now what brings you here Sir? Can I help you with –” he stared at the rich man’s smiling face, “You’re him aren’t you?” The rich man nodded. Before he could say anything the man, forgetting his dirty hands and clothes, embraced the rich man, sobbing. “Thank you so much! How can I ever repay you?” he cried. The rich man’s heart sank. The man suddenly remembered his dirtiness and pulled back. “I want to be clear,” began the rich man, “I paid your debt as a gift, because I want you to be happy, not living a life of worry. I don’t want you to spend your life trying to repay a debt that we both know you can’t. If you are grateful at all, then just come celebrate with me.” The man looked down at his dirty hands, then up at the rich man, “Will you come inside and meet my family?” The rich man felt as though his heart would burst with joy, “I would love to.”
III
A few weeks later the rich man drove again to see the first man, but despite his knocking, no one answered the door. He shook his head sadly has he walked back past the ‘for sale’ sign still in the yard. He drove next to the second man’s house. When he knocked on the door the man came quickly to the door, greeted him boisterously, stuffed an envelope in his hand and turned to go, saying he had lots of work to do. “Wait,” called the rich man. “Won’t you go for a drive with me?” “Oh, I’d love to, but I can’t,” replied the man. “Perhaps another time,” and he shut the door. The rich man drove to the third man’s house and before he could even get out of the car the man ran up and hopped in the passenger seat, “Where are we going today?” The rich man laughed, “You have no idea how much I love coming here! Well, today I was thinking you could go with me to tell some others that I’ve paid their debts.” The man looked a little worried, “What if they react like those other two you told me about?” The rich man started the car, “That’s a risk I’m willing to take. Are you in?” The man buckled his seatbelt and nodded. It was sure to be a great ride.
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