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Faith
by Debbie Wallis
Monday, April 13, 2015 “The Emperor only wishes to see tailors who have cloth to show him,” the Chief Minister said. They told him their cloth was like no other had ever seen and they were saving it just for the Emperor’s eyes. They were ushered to the palace.
The two tailors stood before the Emperor, holding out empty arms. “This Your Majesty is the most amazing cloth in the world. It is so fine and delicate that it is invisible to fools and simpletons but anyone with wisdom and power can see how rare and beautiful it is,” said the tailor. Of course the Emperor couldn’t see anything because there was nothing to see. The tailors were two cunning cheats who had “Too much pride can put you to come to trick him knowing his pride shame; it’s wiser to be humble. If and love of admiration. Not you do the right thing, honesty will wanting to look like a fool, the be your guide. But if you are Emperor went on and on about the crooked, you will be trapped by beauty of this wonderful fabric. your dishonesty,” Proverbs 11:2-3. The Chief Minister didn’t want the Emperor to think he was a fool so Once upon a time there was an he praised the invisible fabric as if it Emperor who loved new clothes. was the most priceless cloth he had He loved all the finest of fabrics ever seen. and his tailors were busy making dozens of new garments each The Emperor ordered the tailors to week. Every morning the Emperor be given a purse full of gold paid in swept through the palace in new advance and gold thread to be clothes, enjoying all the admiration delivered to sew his new outfit. The of everyone he met. Everyone tailors pretended to weave more bowed and said the same thing, no clothe, asking for more money and matter what they really thought, gold thread, and all along feeding “You are great, magnificent, and the ego of the Emperor. exquisite!” The day of the parade arrived and One day the Emperor ordered a the tailors were summoned. The grand parade organized to Emperor undressed and stood in welcome some foreign visitor but front of the mirror. The tailors the real reason was he wanted the pretended to hand him his new opportunity to show off a new clothes and the Emperor carefully outfit. He ordered his staff to find pretended to put them on. Finally him the greatest tailors and the the two tailors pretended to tie the finest cloth in the entire kingdom. cloak around the Emperor’s Soon the word was out and a long shoulders and straighten the long line of tailors appeared in hopes of train. The Emperor strutted proudly the job of making the Emperor’s through the palace and all his New Clothes. The first two tailors servants bowed and gave words of in line brought nothing with them. praise. No one would admit they
saw nothing but a crown on the Emperor because they didn’t want to be thought of as a fool. A huge crowd gathered for the parade. Everyone wanted to know if their friends and neighbors were simple fools who couldn’t see the Emperor’s New Clothes. The crowds cheered, “Look at the Emperor’s magnificent new clothes! The finest in the entire world and the most vibrant colors ever see.” The Emperor saw himself as grand and famous in all eyes.
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The Bible warns us against pride. “Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; assuredly, he will not be unpunished,” Proverbs 16:5. Does that mean we can’t be proud of a job well done, our children’s accomplishments or our family history? No, be proud and give God the glory. When we are too self-important or conceited, something is sure to happen to make us look foolish like the king in this story. God wants us to trust in Him more than our own abilities. God doesn’t make the fall happen but He allows it for our own good. He is a At the back of the crowd was a tough love father. Even though the small boy who wiggled himself to Emperor was exposed in his the front. “The Emperor has no nakedness he would not repent. He clothes on!” he said. Soon stood proud and finished the parade. everyone in the crowd was saying The story doesn’t tell what happened it, “He’s naked! He has no clothes next but life does and the Lord does, on!” “Pride goes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall,” Proverbs The Emperor knew they were 16:18. There are consequences to right. He blushed with pride. We lose credibility. We lose embarrassment but he kept walking relationships. We lose admiration. stiffly, staring straight ahead. Search your hearts and allow God to deal with pride. He wants to The Emperor’s New Clothes by privately between you and Him, Hans Christian Andersen is a unlike the Emperor who refused and children’s book written in 1837. was exposed in public. Pride in our life is like this Emperor. Vanity and pride ruled If you do not have a Bible please his life and supersedes the love of contact me at sfadebbie@yahoo.com truth. The pride of the people and I will provide you one. around him wouldn’t speak up in fear that they would be seen as incompetent. Maybe they believed the tailors and thought themselves to be a fool because the cloth was invisible to them. The crowds who watched the parade didn’t presume to question expert weavers, the authority of a king, the sophisticated views of the king’s court on the matter of style and good taste. The voice of truth came from a child who speaks as Christ teaches, “But everything exposed by the light becomes visible,” Ephesians 5:13. God will expose unhealthy pride because of His great love for our wellbeing.
