The Rustic and the Meal

The was a rustic from the outskirts of the kingdom who came to the big city to see if he could learn how to properly do service for the King. Now he knew, even in his far-off home, that there was a special meal that the King  invited His servants to. But he had seen it done only crudely and was hoping to see it performed correctly in the city. When he arrived there were a number of booths set up, offering the meal, and they were all different.

One booth had an ornate beauty, with candles and incense and stained glass windows. "The thing to remember," said the man in the booth, "is that the King is physically present in the meal. We must recognize Him there in order to receive the benefits of the meal."

The next booth had more of an austere dignity. The man at the booth said, "The King is not physically present in the meal. But He is spiritually present. We must be careful to distinguish this."

The next booth had a more common, ordinary look, like somebody's house. The man there said, "You must ignore the extravagances of those other two. The King is symbolically present in the meal. These other complicated notions are thoroughly unnecessary."

As the rustic walked away scratching his head, a young man without a booth came toward him. "Don't worry your head about it," he said. "We need to do this because the King commanded it, but it isn't that important. What the King really wants is those who serve Him from the heart."

Then walking a short distance away, the rustic lifted up his voice and declared, "What are these things you are fighting about? What the King commands is certainly important. But He says it is to remember and declare what He has done for us. You have taken what is meant as a celebration of His goodness and changed it into a battle over things He said nothing about." Then he turned and walked away.