Saga of the half head

Feb

27

2014

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Feb

27

2014

I heard a story about a man who walked into a grocery store and asked an enterprising young clerk for a “half a head of lettuce”.

The young man said, “We don’t sell lettuce by the half of a head, you have to buy a full head”.

Without flinching the man repeated his request for a half head. The young man again insisted that it must be sold by the full head of lettuce. This went back and forth several times with the customer steadfastly refusing to take no for an answer. Both stood their ground and it was obvious that they had reached an impasse.

Seeing that he was getting nowhere the exasperated young clerk finally said, “Look I cannot do this on my own I’ll have to take it to my manager and let him decide. I’ll be right back.’

The man nodded his head in agreement and the young clerk turned on his heels and headed toward the back room. He was really steamed as he walked into the manager’s office and quickly blurted out, “Some IDIOT is out there demanding that he be allowed to buy a half of a head of lettuce”.

The manager’s eyes were nervously darting back and forth and he slightly nodded his head behind the young clerk. The youngster slowly turned around and saw that unbeknownst to him that the customer had followed him into the manager’s office.

Without missing a beat the young man smiled widely and said, “And then this kind man came along and offered to buy the other half; I say we sell it to him what say you?”

So this potentially disastrous situation was handled with a good conclusion. After it was all said and done, the manager thought to himself that this young kid obviously could think fast on his feet and perhaps should be promoted. He called him into his office and told him to have a seat and started some general conversation in order to get to know him better.

During the conversation the young man politely asked the manager where he was from. The manager told him that he was born and raised in good old Tallahassee Florida, but five years ago had moved to Canada for his first managerial position and had just recently moved back to the states. The youngster laughed and sneered, “Canada? I’ve heard that all they have up there are prostitutes and hockey players”.

The manager turned crimson red and angrily snarled, “I’ll have you know that I met and married my sweet wife in Canada”.

Again without missing a beat the young man excitedly asked, “Oh yeah? What team does she play on?

This reminds me of a parable in Luke concerning the wisdom of the world.

Now He was also saying to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and this manager was reported to him as squandering his possessions. And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’

“The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig; I am ashamed to beg.

‘I know what I shall do, so that when I am removed from the management people will welcome me into their homes.’ “And he summoned each one of his master’s debtors, and he began saying to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ “And he said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty’.

And his master praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light.

“And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings. “He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much.

“Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you?

Matthew Henry wrote of the point of this parable as follows: “Worldly men, in the choice of their object, are foolish; but in their activity, and perseverance, they are often wiser than believers. The unjust steward is not set before us as an example in cheating his master, or to justify any dishonesty, but to point out the careful ways of worldly men. It would be well if the children of light would learn wisdom from the men of the world, and would as earnestly pursue their better object. The true riches signify spiritual blessings; and if a man spends upon himself, or hoards up what God has trusted to him, as to outward things, what evidence can he have, that he is an heir of God through Christ? The riches of this world are deceitful and uncertain. Let us be convinced that those are truly rich, and very rich, who are rich in faith, and rich toward God, rich in Christ, in the promises; let us then lay up our treasure in heaven, and expect our portion from thence.

Don’t be tempted to emulate the shrewd wisdom for the wrong reasons! Be righteous and the point becomes moot.

Matt. 25:21

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’”

February 27, 2014 – Click here to listen

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