Saturday, September 15, 2001
Saturday, September 15, 2001
For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and
estimate
the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it?
"Why not?" the bearded one answered. "If the price is right."
"I'll pay you whatever you ask," replied the clean-shaven one. "There is only one
condition. I want
the beard to remain on YOUR face. I will care for it. I will trim it, brush it, perfume it. The
beard
will be on your face, but I will own it completely."
His friend was surprised but had no objection. So the clean-shaven fellow bought the
beard on his
fellow merchant's face. And he kept his word about caring for the beard. At any hour of
the day
or night, he might walk into his friend's shop or home and start grooming his beard--on
the other
man's face. Sometimes he would pull at the beard roughly with an extra fine comb. At
other times
he would coat it with heavy and sometimes unpleasant perfumes. No matter how busy
the bearded
man might be, the clean-shaven one would exercise his right to care for his beard.
Whenever his
friend would protest he would retort calmly, "It is my beard. I will do with it as I please."
Very soon this constant grooming became more than the bearded merchant could
stand. "I can't
bear this any longer," he cried. "I am going to have my beard shaved off."
The clean-shaven one replied sharply, "You mean MY beard. If you do I will sue. We
have a
contract."
Finally the bearded merchant said, "All right. You win. I want to buy back my beard.
How much
will you take?"
"Oh," replied the clean-shaven one, "I have grown very fond of MY beard. It will hurt me
to part
with it. But I guess if you pay me four times what I bought it for, I will let it go."
The poor bearded man howled, but considering what he had been through, he agreed
to pay his
friend four times what he had received for the beard. Then he had his beard shaved off.
He had
lost his money and his beard, but he had learned a lesson--about hasty transactions
and painful
losses.
Jesus once said, "For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down
and count
the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?"
(Luke 14:28
NRSV)
There is a delightful story about two merchants. One was clean-shaven. No matter how
hard he
tried, he could not grow a beard. The other had a long, thick beard. One day the
clean-shaven one
asked, "Friend, you have such a nice beard. I was wondering if you would sell it to
me?"
Dear God, keep me from making hasty decisions, so that I may never stray far from
you. Amen.
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