Friends Magazine Hong Kong
By Bro. Eddie C. Villanueva
March 2012 Edition

A story was told about an old, wise emperor from the Far East who searched for himself a worthy successor.  Instead of choosing one of his assistants or one of his own children, he decided to do something different.

The wise emperor called out for all the young men in his kingdom. He had them all gathered in the palace.  To each one, he gave a seed. He told them, “It is a very special seed. I want you to go home, plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from this one seed. I will then judge the plants that you bring to me, and the one I choose will be the next emperor of the kingdom!”

One of the boys who received a seed that day was Ling. So he went home, told his mother about the whole story, and began caring for his one seed. He got a pot, filled it with soil, planted the seed, watered it, and began caring for it like his life depended on it.

Days passed, then weeks, but nothing happened to Ling’s seed. Despite his diligent caring, nothing came out of it. Yet he persisted silently, even when all the other boys started to holler and brag about their plants – and how they grew unbelievably fast!
Weeks turned into months, until the day to return to the palace came! It was judgment day, and he had nothing to present to the emperor but a pot of dirt.

The palace was filled with all kinds of plants and trees and flowers imaginable.  The emperor was deep in thought as he took a stroll, assessing the presents of the young men from his kingdom.  Then he spotted Ling, cowering in fear at the back of the crowd, clinging onto his pot.

When it was time for Ling to present his gift to the emperor, he got to the front with his head bowed low. He knew he miserably failed. Then he heard the emperor ask for his name. “My name is Ling,” he said. All his peers were laughing and making fun of him.

The emperor ordered everyone to quiet down. He looked at Ling, and then announced to the crowd, “Behold your new emperor! His name is Ling!” No one could believe it, not even Ling. He couldn’t even grow his seed, how could he be the new king?

Then the emperor said, “Exactly one year ago, I gave everyone here a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds that would not grow. All of you, except Ling, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Ling was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new emperor!”

By a single test of character that his successor admirably passed, the old yet wise emperor was able to guarantee a secure future for his kingdom.
Among the various lessons that we can glean from this beautiful story, three truths stand out:

First, life is a test. Everything that daily happens to us comes with a purpose (Romans 8:28). Our character is shaped by the choices we make. Presented with an opportunity to succeed, we can either cheat our way to “success” like what the other kids in the story did. Or, like Ling, we can also choose to do what is right, even if it seems pointless, and trust God for the result. Micah 6:8 tells us, “the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what He requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”

Second, truth is invincible. It is the best, and sole, defense of its possessor – and the bitterest enemy of liars. Even a thousand angels cannot make truth out of a lie. Hence when we side with truth, we need not fear even the mightiest and wealthiest that may conspire against us. Truth will preserve us. But when we make “lie and deceit” as our friends, none of our power, influence, and wealth can save us when truth exacts recompense in the end. Yes, truth may be elusive, but it is also eternal. Sooner or later, it will reveal itself. For, ironically, the offenders’ own deceit will find them out (Numbers 32:23).

Third, judgment is certain. There is a time of reckoning.  Like the emperor in the story, there is a Righteous Judge who sits on the throne, knows exactly what He’s doing, looks upon us, and watches us as we daily live out our lives.

Psalm 139 tells how the LORD intimately knows us, and verse 12 is particularly sobering: “You see in the dark because daylight and dark are all the same to you.”Nothing escapes His eyes. He sees it all. This knowledge should be enough to inspire us to live every single day of our lives pleasing Him the best way we could.
Let us make a conscious effort to live in truth, justice, and righteousness. This is not only to please God, but also to preserve our society. As poet Ralph Waldo Emerson put it, “Every violation of truth is not only a sort of suicide in the liar, but is a stab at the health of human society.”

Righteousness lifts up a nation, but sin is a disgrace in any society (Proverbs 14:34). Yes, righteousness and justice are the foundation of God’s throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before Him (Psalm 89:14).

GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!