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REFLECTIONS
A parable of the Kingdom

Joel Garber

John 13:1-7

The Kingdom of God may be compared to a beautiful mansion built in the woodlands. The mansion is as heaven, the woodlands as the world.

The mansion is ruled by a kindly king who takes in all travellers and feeds them, clothes them and gives them rest until they are well and full, ready to continue their journey. The king would stand daily at the gate of the courtyard, saying, “Welcome, traveller” to each who entered. One traveller caught the king’s eye. Unlike the others, this traveller wiped the dirt of the woodlands from his feet before entering the courtyard. Immediately the king recognized the traveller as his son, who had long ago ventured into the woodlands and had now returned. The king took him from the courtyard and into the mansion itself, that he might not pass out of the gates again.

A new decree was issued by the king. He declared that all travellers following in the tradition of his son should not be suffered to stay in the courtyard, but welcomed into the mansion.

The son, having once been a traveller himself, had compassion on those entering, and so stationed himself at the gate and offered to wash the feet of the travellers. Those accepting His love received welcome from the king and dwelt not in the courtyard, but in the mansion with the son. These travellers, so full of thanks for having been taken in as sons, stood also at the gates to wash feet.

Reflections is a column of brief reflections on Scripture passages. This one is by Joel Garber of Hampshire, Tenn. Freelance submissions for Reflections (200-250 words in length) are welcome.

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Last modified June 27, 2000.

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