It is the 1st of April, a day that has come to be known as April Fool’s Day. A friend of mine got married on April Fool’s day one year, suitably going on honeymoon to the Scilly Isles!
We all do foolish things, but the word ‘fool’ in times gone by had powerful meaning. This little story illustrates that.
There once was a king, who delighted in all his subjects, but none more so than the court jester. Whenever the king was feeling depressed, or in need of cheering of, he would call for the court jester, who would act the fool and soon have the king in fits of laughter.
One day the king decided to find out if the jester really was the greatest fool in the whole world, so he gave the jester a golden wand, which the jester was to present to the first person he found who was more foolish the jester himself.
The jester travelled the world trying to find the greatest fool in the world. He went from town to town, village to village and still couldn’t find anyone who was a bigger fool than himself. Meanwhile, back at the palace the King had contracted a nasty disease and was taken gravely ill.When the jester heard of the King’s illness, he rushed straight back to the palace to see the King. Upon entering his room, the king told him the grim news. “I am going to die” he said “very soon”, “I do not have long to live”. Upset and shocked the jester asked the King: “are you ready to die?”"No, I am not” said the King, “I am not ready to die”. “In that case,” replied the jester, “I have something to give you”, and he reached into his bag, pulled out the gold wand and presented it to the King. “I have finally found a greater fool than myself” he said.
The Bible talks solemnly about fools. “The fool has said in his heart, there is no God.” (Psalm 14 v 1).
Do you deny the existence of God? Then you are a fool.
Do you acknowledge that God exists, but don’t want anything to do with Him? Then you are as good as a fool.
Are you ready to meet God when you die? If not, you are most foolish.God is kind to fools though. He gives us a chance to come out of our folly. Christ Jesus, God’s Son, came to earth and lived as a man. After 33 years of a perfect life, He died on a Roman cross. Being perfect He had no crimes of His own to die for, but was dying for yours and mine. As He died, God punished His own Son for all the wrong things you have ever done. He took the punishment so that you don’t have to.
Your response can only be one of two. Either you accept Jesus’ sacrifice for you and ask Him to forgive your sin, your wrong, and become a follower of God, and live with Him in heaven when you die for eternity, or you reject Him and say in your heart “there is no God, and even if there is, I want nothing to do with Him.”
To reject God is foolish, and just as God has a place for those who trust Him (Heaven), He has a place where fools will learn the hard way the extent of their folly, and will wish (albeit too late) that they had not been so foolish. That place is called hell.
The good news of the Bible is that God wants you to be with Him in heaven for eternity, rather than hell. To this end, Jesus went through, as it were, hell on the cross suffering in your place, so you don’t have to. He now offers you a free gift of forgiveness and life and salvation from an eternity of torment and suffering.
Which fool would reject that?
Picture and story taken from www.chick.com, click here to see original version.
