2nd
Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14-16
Romans 16:25-27
Luke 1:26-38
A
Parable for Our Times
By Deacon Dennis Kelly
________________________________
In a
wealthy kingdom there lived a wealthy man called Asinus. He felt
anointed by God and by all appearances led a holy life.
He prayed
regularly in the house of worship and was pleasant to those he encountered
there. But he always expected others to serve his needs and never stepped forward
to serve the needs of others.
He wanted
silence when in the House of the Lord and would become irritated when others
would make noise. They were spoiling his time with God and he resented their
interruptions.
Asinus
would pass by people at the door of the church needing assistance and become
angry in his heart. He thought, “What are those people, but a blight on our
kingdom and its privileged people.”
He roamed the streets of the kingdom seeing
others with less than he, and his pride would swell in his fortunes and
blessings. He deserved this. He was anointed by God to live well and scorned
those who had less, for they, he thought, were cursed by God. “How else could
you explain their misfortune?”
Then, one
day, the wealthy man fell unconscious with a blinding fever. He was very sick and near death.
In his
fevered dreams appeared an angel who said,
“Asinus,
turn back from your evil ways.
You say
your fortune comes from God and that you are blessed, but your wealth has
cursed you with blindness to the needs of the world. God expects you to bless
others with your fortunes, but you do not.
Your worship
is nothing, but vanity, done only to feel good about yourself. You refuse to
hear God’s voice.
The Lord is
sending you on a journey, Asinus. Learn well from the people you meet along the
way. They have much to teach you.”
Asinus found
himself standing alone on a deserted cobble stone street in a blinding fog. It
was very cold, a cold Asinus had never experienced before.
The first
person he met was a frail old man abandoned by his family and turned away by
those who care for the infirmed in the kingdom. He was riddled with sickness
and was dying in the streets. The man said his name was Egenum.
Asinus’
cold heart immediately judged the man’s condition. But Egenum just smiled and bid
him, “Hello.” He asked Asinus if he could help find him a blanket so he would
not die cold.
Asinus
thought, “I am in this foreign place and do not know where to find you a
blanket!” He said, “Sir, you will need
to find a blanket yourself.” But the man
was so frail he could not move.
Asinus
coldly wished the man blessing and continued on his journey unable to even look
the man in the eye as he departed.
Asinus next
met a pregnant woman crying at the doorsteps of the church. She, too, was cold
and in need of a place to stay. But the church doors were locked.
She meekly
introduced herself at Cupio and asked for his help getting into the church.
Asinus thought to himself, “I have no time for this.”
Asinus
tried the door, but could not get it open. He knocked once, but no one
answered.
He shrugged
his shoulders and said, “There’s nothing I can do to help you. I am sorry for
your misfortune. Do you not have a man to care for you?“
The women
turned away and cried even harder. Cupio told him she was fleeing a husband who
beat her. She was hoping for a better life for herself and the child she
carried in her womb.
He didn’t
ask her any more questions, but shook his head, and walked away, and continued
on his journey.
Next he met
a mute child who had a sign around her neck that read Fame. She was gaunt with one
lame leg.
The child
grabbed Asinus by the hand and slowly took him to the edge of town. Each step
was difficult for the little girl. Asinus grew impatient as they walked
together.
At the two
iron gates that appeared before him he noticed a sign overhead that read,
“Pauper’s Graveyard.”
There the
child showed him two freshly dug graves, one large and one small.
She pointed to him, then to the large grave.
His heart
sank as he realized he was staring at his final resting place. “But how could
this be? I am a wealthy man. I am still
young. Surely I will recover from this fever and wake up from this awful dream.”
As he looked down he noticed his reflection in a puddle
next to the grave. He could see in the reflection he was no longer young, but a
very old man. His face looked scornful and angry, and filled with contempt.
Where was the pious man he believed himself to be?
The child then pointed to herself and to the smaller
grave. At that moment he realized the cold, stark truth.
He looked
closely at the child. She smiled innocently, but her gaunt face told him she
was dying of hunger.
He began to
weep and prayed with all his might for the angel to return to him. But the
angel did not.
Instead, a
woman dressed in a white and blue flowing gown stood before him. She radiated
light and her face was a thing of beauty and peace.
She began
to speak.
“Asinus.
Asinus. God is speaking to your heart. But you refuse to listen.
He has sent
you three messengers to teach you how to see the world differently. But your
blindness prevents you from seeing beyond your own needs to needs of others
especially those I hold most dear.
Your hardened
heart and arrogance come from your wealth. They prevent you for hearing the
cries of the poor.
I am the
mother of your Lord and Savior. You know well my example of listening and
responding to God’s voice. My Son is calling upon you to do the same.
First, he
wants you to know the names of those you have met today.
The old man
is named Egenum or 'needy.' He asked your help in finding a blanket.
But you ignored his needs.
The
pregnant woman is named Cupio or 'want.' She desired entrance into your Church to find sanctuary from an abusive
husband. But you judged her and refused to act on her pleas.
The child
holding your hand at this moment is Fame or 'hunger.' She has shown you your
future if you do not change your ways.
And, you,
Asinus, do you know what your own name means? It means 'fool.'
Are you unaware
your own friends refuse to tell you of their good works for the poor and
outcast for fear of your ridicule?
The man
began to weep bitterly.
The lady
said, “This does not have to be your future.”
At that, the man awoke from his fever. He was young
again. He felt healthy. In fact, he felt like a man renewed.
As Asinus looked out the window of his warm home he saw
all three people he met on his journey on the street below. He knew what he had
to do.
To the old man, he brought a blanket and took him to
house of the infirmed and paid for his stay. He was there when the man died
peacefully in a warm bed a few days later.
Next he found the pregnant woman at the Church door, and
he himself pounded on the locked door until the priest came to open it. He told
the priest of the woman’s plight. She was given sanctuary. He visited her often
and became like a brother to her as she built a new life for herself and her
new child with his financial help.
Next, he found the gaunt little girl and took her to the
nearby home for abandoned children. He promised to fund her stay and be a part
of her life. He was like a father to her
for the rest of his life.
Years later
she buried him in a beautiful cemetery, with an elegant tombstone. She would
inherit his wealth and never again be hungry. She was both compassionate and
generous, spending her entire inherited fortune helping those in need.
________________________________
“Whoever has ears to
hear ought to hear.”
