THE PARABLE OF THE OLD CHINESE FARMER

THE PARABLE OF THE OLD CHINESE FARMER

A favorite story of mine, ‘The Parable of the Old Chinese Farmer’, reminds me that many times what we think about the challenges and trials we face may be completely different than what we suppose.  It also reminds me why ‘faith’ is the first principle of the gospel.

The Parable of the Old Chinese Farmer

There was once an old Chinese Farmer.  He had one horse to plow his fields.  One day when he was out working in his field, the horse was startled by a snake.  The horse bolted and ran off into the woods.

The neighbors saw this and said to the farmer, “Oh my, what bad luck.  You have lost your only horse.  How will you ever be able to take care of your fields?”

Humbly, the old man replied, “Good luck, bad luck— only God knows for sure.”

A few days later the farmer’s horse found his way back home, and in tow was another, horse – a wild horse.

The neighbors saw this and said, “Oh my, what good luck.  Where you had lost your only horse and couldn't work your farm, now you have two horses!”

The farmer simply responded, “Good luck, bad luck— only God knows for sure.”

Sometime later the old farmer’s teenage son was cautiously riding with the wild horse, attempting to break him when the horse bucked and the son was thrown off.  He landed awkwardly and the boy broke his leg badly.

The neighbors saw this and said, “Oh my, what bad luck.  Your only son has broken his leg and won’t be able to help with all of your farm work – plowing, planting and bringing in the harvest.”

The farmer patiently smiled, tilted his head to the side and said, “Good luck, bad luck— only God knows for sure.”

A few weeks later the Royal Chinese Army came through the little farming town looking for fresh, strong recruits.  Generals had requested hundreds of young men to send to the front-line of a raging civil war.  But when they came to the old farmer’s house they passed over his son because of his broken leg.

When the neighbors heard about this they were astonished.  All of their sons had been sent into battle. They confronted the farmer and exclaimed, “Oh my, what good luck!  Because your son has a broken leg, he doesn’t have to go off to the war!”

The farmer humbly sighed within himself and whispered, “Good luck, bad luck— only God knows for sure.”

I love this story because it reminds me that we have a choice as to how we respond to all of the trials and injustices that are part of life’s journey.  That many times, good things can be bad, and bad things can be good, and that the only way to properly evaluate them is to trust in the Lord and in His plan for us, that better than anyone else (including ourselves) He knows what’s best for us – individually and collectively, big things and small (seemingly insignificant) things, as well as things we perceive as ‘blessings’ and/or ‘adversities’.  Also that happiness and peace come in different ways and not necessarily on our timetable.

Wm. Calvin Hughes, Lake Elsinore, CA - January 2015