“At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of
heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and
learned, and revealed them to little children.” Mt. 11:25 (NIV)
In Hans Christian Andersen’s Danish fairy tale
published in 1837, The Emperor’s New Clothes, we read about an emperor who
cared only about his clothes and showing them off. Two
swindlers tell him that they can make the finest suits from the most beautiful
cloth. This cloth, they inform him, had
the special capability in that it was invisible to anyone who was stupid or not
fit for his position.
The emperor was nervous as to whether or not he’d be
able to see the cloth so he sent two of his trusted men to see it. Neither of his trusted men would admit that
they could not see the cloth so instead they praised it. Everyone was curious as to whether or not
they’d be able to see the cloth.
Thinking that the people might think that he was stupid,
the emperor allowed himself to be dressed in the clothes for a procession
through town. All the townspeople wildly
praised the magnificent clothes of the emperor, afraid to admit that they could
not see them, until a small child said, “But he has nothing on!”
This was whispered from person to person until
everyone in the crowd was shouting that the emperor had nothing on. The emperor
heard it and felt that they were correct, but held his head high and finished
the procession.
The expression, “The emperor has no clothes!” is a
metaphor that involves a situation wherein the majority of the population of
observers willingly shares in a collective ignorance of an obvious fact,
despite individually recognizing the absurdity.
Purity within innocence is depicted when the truth
is clearly seen through the eyes of a child. A child is too naïve to understand
group pressure to see contrary to the obvious.
God’s Word is unadulterated truth. We don’t have to try to read between the lines
to wonder if Jesus is trying to trick us or to misguide us. Jesus has chosen to reveal His Father’s heart
to each one of us and we need only trust Him with the abandon of a child. God is not willing to share His throne with
another; we must purpose daily to go to God and not man in our endeavor to concern ourselves with only what the King of Kings shows us to be His truth.
It is our Father’s heart that we should all be
humble, patient and gentle as we work together with one faith for His
glory.
If God has given you eyes to see something that
perhaps those around you have chosen to ignore, may I encourage you to stand
strong in your faith, eyes set like flint on the God of all truth? In spite of criticism or possible betrayal,
let’s not be timid. Now is not the time to close our eyes and ears or to strive
for matching the majority; instead, we must strive to emulate the purity of the
child who innocently proclaimed, “The Emperor has no clothes!”
Stay the Course...
Sheila Cote
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