There is a story of an old man and a traveler. According to ChatGPT, this is an ancient story, and some version of it can be found in many cultures around the world. I don’t remember when I first heard this story, but it has stuck with me ever since. I'd like to begin today with my version of this classic parable.
A young man was traveling in search of a new home. Late in the afternoon, after a long day’s travel, he came upon a kindly old man reading a book on a bench in the shade near a large city. As he walked past the old man, he paused, scratched his head, turned around, and said, “Excuse me.” And waving his hand in the direction of the town ahead, said, “What sort of people live in this town?” The old man looked up, smiled, and after examining the man for several moments, asked him, “What sort of people live in the town you came from?” The question surprised the traveler, but as he thought about it for a moment, he said, “Well, to be honest, they were pretty awful; that city was filled with selfish, greedy types that would as soon steal from you as help you.” Hearing that reply, sadness clouded the old man’s face as he looked down, deep in thought. After a moment, he sighed, looked up into the traveler’s eyes, and said, “I think you’ll find the people in the town ahead to be about the same, unfortunately.”
Sometime later, another traveler approached the man; their eyes met, and a smile lit up the young traveler’s face. “Good afternoon! Such a beautiful day, don’t you think? Do you live around here?” The old man nodded, smiled back, and said, “Yes, and what brings you out here today?” The traveler replied, “I am looking for work in the town ahead, and I am wondering what I can expect from the people in this town? What sort of people live here?” The old man smiled again and asked, “What kind of people lived in the town you just came from?” The traveler quickly replied, “They were wonderful, kind, and generous people. I lived there for many years. I’d still be there today if not for losing my job. I miss them already.” The old man looked up with a broad smile and said, “I think you’ll find the people in this town to be every bit as wonderful as the people you left.” With that, the traveler took heart, thanked him, and continued on his journey.
At this point, a young boy approached the old man, curious and a bit confused. He timidly asked the old man, “Excuse me, I don’t mean to be rude, but I have been listening to you this afternoon, and I’m confused. You told the first man that the city was full of terrible, selfish people, and you told the second man that the city was full of wonderful and kind people. Are you talking about the same city?”
The old man smiled and patted the boy on the head, saying, “Yes, son, I was talking about the same city.” The boy looked at him as if he were crazy. The old man chuckled at the boy’s response and explained, “Same city — it’s the men that were different.”
You may wonder what this ancient story has to do with walking the way of Jesus. The moral of the story is that our perception of people and experiences often reflects our internal attitudes more than external reality. The point I want to make today is that our attitude also warps our perception of God, and in turn, affects our response to everything we encounter.
In Matthew, Jesus tells a parable of three servants. Each of them was given a certain amount to manage. The first two profitably managed their resources, but the third one refused, and the reason he gave is telling. Let’s read this third servant’s response.
He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. Matt 25:24-28 [ESV]
This may seem confusing until you compare it to what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount.
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Matt 7:1-2 [ESV]
The third servant did not see the master as good but rather as a stingy, demanding, and unjust master. The master responded according to the wicked servant’s attitude toward him. If you look at how he treated the two who respected and obeyed him, He was very generous and kind. However, the master responded to the third servant in exactly the same way the servant described him. The wicked servant was being measured with the same ruler he used on the master.
In the book of Hebrews, we are told that those who come to God must believe that he is a good God.
And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. Heb 11:6 [ESV]
When faith in God's goodness breaks down, everything falls apart. If we examine humanity’s first recorded failure in the Garden of Eden closely, we see that once the serpent succeeded in getting us to question God's goodness, his work was as good as done. The serpent implied that there were good things that God just didn’t want them to have (he never said why, but left that to the imagination of Adam and Eve). Once he had them questioning the goodness of God, it was easy to lead them to outright disobedience.
Our assumptions about the character of God determine our response to God. Everything God does for us is filtered through our belief in his goodness-or the lack thereof. If we believe God is good, we will naturally trust Him and His intentions toward us. But if, deep down, we don’t believe He loves us and has our best interests in mind, we will find it almost impossible to trust Him.
Like the traveler in the story, what we see in people and in God says more about us than it does about others or God. Maybe, especially God. If we believe that the God behind everything is evil, we will see evil in everything.
God is good. He has proven it in a thousand small ways to those who are looking for it. But he has proven it in a few enormous ways that should be recognized, even if you are not inclined to look. When we rebelled and became evil and violent, and yes, I said we, not they. God could have ended the entire human project right then and there. But instead, he became one of us and subjected himself to the full fury of human evil in order to save us from ourselves. God is good. Love is benefiting others at my expense. God didn’t just command us to do this; He demonstrated that love for us in Jesus.
So this week, let’s remind ourselves and each other every day that although evil is everywhere, God is good. So I will leave you with this famous song:
The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made. All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your saints shall bless you! They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and tell of your power, to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. Psalm 145:8-13 [ESV]
Let’s share this thought with everyone we meet this week, directly or indirectly.
And have a great week!
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