Two brothers who lived many years ago worked together on their family farm. One brother was married with children, while the other was a bachelor. They worked hard, sharing equally in the profit of the farm. Each had a small storage bin in which they deposited equal amounts of the grain produced on the farm.
One day the single brother thought to himself, “It’s not right that my brother and I share everything equally, for I’m alone and my needs are simple.” He decided that each night he would fill a sack with grain from his bin and, unnoticed in the darkness, would quietly dump it into his brother’s bin.
Meanwhile, the married brother thought to himself, “It’s not right that my brother and I share everything equally, for I have my wife and children to care for me in my old age, but he has no one to help him with his future needs.” So he decided that each night he would quietly fill a sack with the grain from his bin, and pour it into his brother’s bin.
Until the night some months later when they accidentally bumped into each other during their nocturnal missions of charity, neither brother could understand why his supply of grain never dwindled.
This (probably fictional) story illustrates important, divine principles which believers may sometimes be prone to forget. We read in 1 John 3:1616Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. (1 John 3:16), “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” While there are times when men are called upon to prove the depth of their love for another by dying (John 15:1313Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13)), an equally strong test of love is to lay down one’s life by living for others, that is, setting aside personal desires to serve others. “By love serve one another” (Gal. 5:1313For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. (Galatians 5:13)). Let each apply in principle and reality the words of our blessed Saviour: “Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it” (Luke 17:3333Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. (Luke 17:33)). We will not be losers for doing so!
Ed.