4 minute read
Faith
by Debbie Wallis
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“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 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
The two tailors stood before the Emperor, holding out empty arms.
The Bible warns us against pride
Proverbs 11:2-3
“Too much pride can put you to shame; it’s wiser to be humble If you do the right thing, honesty will be your guide But if you are crooked, you will be trapped by your dishonesty,”
Once upon a time there was an Emperor who loved new clothes He loved all the finest of fabrics and his tailors were busy making dozens of new garments each week Every morning the Emperor swept through the palace in new clothes, enjoying all the admiration of everyone he met. Everyone bowed and said the same thing, no matter what they really thought, “You are great, magnificent, and exquisite!”
One day the Emperor ordered a grand parade organized to welcome some foreign visitor but the real reason was he wanted the opportunity to show off a new outfit He ordered his staff to find him the greatest tailors and the finest cloth in the entire kingdom Soon the word was out and a long line of tailors appeared in hopes of the job of making the Emperor’s New Clothes The first two tailors in line brought nothing with them
“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 come to trick him knowing his pride and love of admiration Not wanting to look like a fool, the Emperor went on and on about the beauty of this wonderful fabric The Chief Minister didn’t want the Emperor to think he was a fool so he praised the invisible fabric as if it was the most priceless cloth he had ever seen.
The Emperor ordered the tailors to be given a purse full of gold paid in advance and gold thread to be delivered to sew his new outfit The tailors pretended to weave more clothe, asking for more money and gold thread, and all along feeding the ego of the Emperor
The day of the parade arrived and the tailors were summoned The Emperor undressed and stood in front of the mirror The tailors pretended to hand him his new clothes and the Emperor carefully pretended to put them on Finally the two tailors pretended to tie the cloak around the Emperor’s shoulders and straighten the long train. The Emperor strutted proudly through the palace and all his servants bowed and gave words of praise. No one would admit they
At the back of the crowd was a small boy who wiggled himself to the front “The Emperor has no clothes on!” he said Soon everyone in the crowd was saying it, “He’s naked! He has no clothes on!”
The Emperor knew they were right He blushed with embarrassment but he kept walking stiffly, staring straight ahead
The Emperor’s New Clothes by Hans Christian Andersen is a children’s book written in 1837. Pride in our life is like this Emperor. Vanity and pride ruled his life and supersedes the love of truth The pride of the people 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.
“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 tough love father Even though the Emperor was exposed in his nakedness he would not repent He stood proud and finished the parade The story doesn’t tell what happened next but life does and the Lord does, “Pride goes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall,” Proverbs 16:18 There are consequences to pride We lose credibility We lose relationships We lose admiration Search your hearts and allow God to deal with pride. He wants to privately between you and Him, unlike the Emperor who refused and was exposed in public.
If you do not have a Bible please contact me at sfadebbie@yahoo com and I will provide you one
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