Children of the King
By
Susan Klein
“I
tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you
did not do for me.”
Matthew
25:45 (NIV)
In the children’s storybook, The Children of the King, by Max Lucado, five orphans learn that
they are about to be adopted by a King. The older four set out to hone their
skills and talents so they might impress him when he arrives. The youngest
child is just a stable girl at the city gate and has no specific talents to
perfect. She mucks stalls, feeds the horses and offers the weary travelers a
place to sit and rest. The villagers strongly encourage the older four in their
endeavors, explaining that only those with great gifts will be allowed to live
in the castle. The youngest girl is cast aside, put off even by her own
siblings who have no time to waste on mentoring her.
Much like this story, we are all drawn to and admire those who
possess great talents and abilities. Who doesn’t enjoy listening to someone who
is gifted with great musical talent or oratory skills? But, what about those
who are always behind the scenes doing the menial tasks? How often do we admire
the person who cleaned the toilets in the public restroom we just used, or hold
in high esteem the disabled young man who bags our groceries for us? Are they
not also created in the image of God, and given purpose and value?
In the story, the king finally arrives in the village to claim
his children. His physical appearance is not like that of a king, so he is not immediately
recognized by the villagers. Everyone is so busy preparing for his arrival that
they pay no notice to the stranger walking in their midst. In the end, it is
the stable girl who draws his attention. She is not too busy to offer him rest
or to speak kind words to him. She is the one who rides off to the castle with
him, though He promises to return and try again with the other children.
Like the stable girl, we should never be so busy honing our
skills and trying to impress that we miss out on spending time with our King or
being helpful to others. And, what if we were to emulate the King? We would look
with favor upon the simple people of this world and appreciate their value as
well.
Let’s be intentional in noticing all the children of the King!
GOING DEEPER:
1.
When God calls on you, are you usually available?
2. Who in your life might need you to take notice of
them?
FURTHER READING:
Susan enjoys teaching Bible
studies, writing, and tutoring with the Literacy Council. She and her husband
Mark co-lead an on-site small group
studying 2 Corinthians with Oakwood's Wednesday Night Community.
