A TALE OF TWO FISHES
A big fish and a small fish lived in a large
pond. The big fish was proud of his size and strength and used to laugh at the
small fish. He mocked at the small fish boastfully, “How dare you talk to me?
You are too small and silly. I am so strong and stout. You are too tiny and
frail. It is a shame to say that you belong to the family of fishes.” But the small fish loved his big brother and respected him. Suddenly
a net was lowered by a fisherman to catch the fishes.
Both of them were
caught in the net, but the small fish could easily escape through a mesh of the
net. The large fish was caught in
the net, entangled and entrapped in its meshes. The small fish saw sadly his
big friend being caught in the net and raised from the water. The net was
carried to the land. The haughty big fish jumped in vain to escape. He lost his
breath and perished. But the small fish swam silently across the pond to a safer
spot, worried about the fate of his friend.
"The Lord hates
everyone who is arrogant; He will never let them escape punishment"
{Proverbs 16: 5}. "Pride
leads to destruction, and arrogance to downfall" {Proverbs 16: 18}. "No one is respected unless
he is humble; arrogant people are on the way to ruin" {Proverbs 18: 12}.
"Happy are those who are
humble; they will receive what God has promised" {Matthew 5: 5}. "For everyone who makes
himself great will be humbled, and everyone who humbles himself will be made
great" {Luke14: 11}.
Fred Smith said, "Humility is not
denying the power you have. It is realizing that the power comes through you,
not from you." Humility is a strange quality. The moment one thinks he has
it, he loses it! Pride goes before a fall.
A
famous proverb in Malayalam may be translated as:
“Water
flows to a lower land;
Grace
of God to a lowly mind.”
D. L. Moody said that God has two thrones: one in the highest heavens, the other in the lowliest heart. He wrote that Moses spent his first forty years thinking he was somebody. Then he spent forty years in the back side of the desert realizing that he was nobody. Finally he spent the last forty years of his life learning what God can do with a nobody!
It is sometimes safer and sweeter to be small and insignificant. Ben Jonson (1572-1637), in his famous poem on true growth, comments on the contrasting characteristics of a little lily and a gigantic oak tree. He concludes,
D. L. Moody said that God has two thrones: one in the highest heavens, the other in the lowliest heart. He wrote that Moses spent his first forty years thinking he was somebody. Then he spent forty years in the back side of the desert realizing that he was nobody. Finally he spent the last forty years of his life learning what God can do with a nobody!
It is sometimes safer and sweeter to be small and insignificant. Ben Jonson (1572-1637), in his famous poem on true growth, comments on the contrasting characteristics of a little lily and a gigantic oak tree. He concludes,
“A lily of a day
Is fairer far in May.
Although it fall and die that night,
It was the plant and flower of light.
In small proportions we just beauties see;
And in short measures life may perfect be.”
Cain and Abel were
the children of Adam and Eve with contradictory character. The life of the
saintly Abel was short but sweet. The wicked Cain led a long but lamentable
life {Genesis 4:1-16}.
Jesus
loved children. When His disciples argued among themselves to decide who among
them was the greatest, Jesus introduced a child and asked them to become like
children. He said, “I assure you that unless you change and become like
children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. The greatest in the
kingdom of heaven is the one who humbles himself and becomes like the child.
And whoever welcomes in my name one such child as this, welcomes me” {Matthew 18:2-5}.
Jesus advised, “The
greatest one among you must be your servant" {Matthew 23: 11}. Jesus promised, “Everyone who makes himself great will be
humbled, and everyone who humbles himself will be made great" {Luke 14: 11, Luke 18:14}.
Humility is the
greatest of graces and the secret of redemption. The incarnation of Christ
reveals His heavenly humility. Teaching about the humility and greatness of
Jesus, St. Paul says, “The attitude you should have is the one that Christ
Jesus had: He always had the nature of God, but He did not think that by force
He should try to become equal with God. Instead of this, of His own free will
He gave up all He had, and took the nature of a servant. He became like man and
appeared in human likeness” {Philippians 2:
5-7}.
……………………………………………………………..
© By: Prof. Dr. Babu Philip,
Darsana Academy, Kottayam-686001, Kerala, India ( Former Professor, Cochin
University of Science & Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi-682016, Kerala,
India), Prof. Mrs. Rajamma Babu, Former Professor, St.
Dominic's College, Kanjirappally, Leo. S. John, St.
Antony's Public School, Anakkal, Kanjirappally and Neil John, Maniparambil, Ooriyakunnath, Kunnumbhagom, Kanjirappally,
Kottayam-686507, Kerala, India.
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