The Foolsh Farmer Part 2

In the land of Osdod there was an ornery old farmer. He had lived there for years owing allegiance to nothing but his own desires. One day a rider came to his farm.”

“What do you want!?” The old farmer asked.

“Hello my man!” the rider said as he dismounted, “Today is a great day for you! I come on behalf of the king!”

“King!” the old man laughed, “You’re mad! There’s no king in these lands.”

“Well of course there’s a king. It cannot be called a kingdom if there were king.”

“I never called this forsaken land a kingdom. If there was a king we would not have this infernal wilderness everywhere. There would be towns and prosperity as there is in other kingdoms. So don’t come around here telling me that there’s a king!”

“I must say it comes hard for me to tell you my purpose if you deny the fact that there is a king.”

“Then be gone!”

“But friend you must believe. This is a matter of life or death.”

“Let me save you a world of trouble kid. There is no king! If there was he would have shown himself to us!”

“Denying the reality of the king does not make him go away!”

“Why? Have you seen him?”

“Actually no. There are only a few privileged people who have seen him.”

“That’s my point. You haven’t seen him so he’s not real!”

“But in my hand is a decree from the king written by one of the king’s scribes and it bears the king’s seal.”

“So you have a piece of paper written by a commoner like us. And as far as that seal goes anyone could have put that on there! It was probably you!”

“Of course I didn’t! Don’t be absurd.”

“And you stop intruding on my land!”

“Ah yes your land. That is the reason I am here. The king has decreed that you are living in rebellion against him. You, along with all of his subjects refuse to pay your taxes.”

“Just what I thought. You’re just trying to rob me!”

“If you would listen I would explain. The king says the debt you have racked up is greater than you could ever pay off and the penalty for that is death.”

“Then why doesn’t he just come here and kill me? Oh wait. Maybe it is because he’s not real!”

“It’s because he does not delight in the death of the wicked! You have transgressed his law and as king he is bound by duty to punish you. He owes you nothing but a swift and silent death. But our king is a good man. He loves his people so greatly that he sent his son into the world. This son obtained a fortune through the most bitter toil and has saved enough to pay the king back for all that his servants have robbed from him in taxes. The king says that he will accept his son’s gift on one condition. If you forsake your evil ways and swear your allegiance to him then he will make it as if you had never done wrong!”

“There is no one who would do such a thing! If someone owed a lifetime of debts no one would be willing to forgive that!”

“But the king and his son are true men. Take me for example. I too have never paid my dues to the king but I accepted the princes gift and am now in allegiance to the king. He was true to his word I am forgiven. And there are many others just like me who have also received this gift.”

“If there were such a king I would never ally myself with him! Look at this land we live in! No good king would leave it in such a wreck!”

“All that is evil in this land has come about because of the rebellion of the king’s subjects. It is not his fault that things are this way. Please listen to me. The king has defended you against many attacks from our neighbors, he has sent countless messengers out who have been killed or persecuted, he has given you all so many chances but you refuse to see!”

“I believe what I can see. Therefore I will not believe until I see the king face to face! And then I will let him know how terrible of a king he has been.”

“How dare you! He is the king! You are his subject! He owes you nothing! To see the king is a blessing greater than anything we could dream to ask! To demand to stand before the king is the most insolent thing a person could ask!”

“That’s my final offer. He can show himself or I will not serve him.”

“The king has said that he will show himself to the people. He will show himself on the Day of Judgment! But at that time it will be too late. You will have made your choice and may you have a change of heart before that day lest he come to judge you!”

“Go speak your nonsense in someone else’s ears! I will not change what I think!”

 

“And so the messenger left.” Gallar said, “The king was true to his word and forgave the debts of those who offered their allegiance. But upon the foolish farmer and others like him a most dreadful judgment fell.”

“It makes me glad I am a Vashaarite.” Burdep said, “If I had not been saved at such a young age I think I could have been one of them. Believing only in what I see. But that is the way of a fool.”

“If only the people of the world would come to realize that Vashaar does not need them nor does he owe them anything. In fact it is they who owe the debt. Only by a measure of love and mercy beyond anything the races posses can we be forgiven. If any of us were in Vashaar’s place and could see how absolutely disgusting our sin is we would all have no mercy. We would all drop the hammer.”

“It does makes you want to tell that man about Vashaar. You want to warn him about what he’s walking into. But he would never listen.”

“Tell him anyway. He will probably refuse but Vashaar has called you to tell not to convert. What a person does with the message is between them and Vashaar. Preach my lad preach to all who will hear. And let death be the only thing to silence you!”