The The Parable ofParable ofBAMBOOBAMBOO

Once upon a Once upon a time… time…

in the heart of in the heart of the Eastern the Eastern Kingdom lay a Kingdom lay a beautiful beautiful garden. garden.

And there in And there in the cool of the the cool of the day was the day was the Master of the Master of the garden, who garden, who went for a went for a walk. walk.

Of all the dwellers of the garden, the Of all the dwellers of the garden, the most beautiful and beloved was a most beautiful and beloved was a

gracious and noble Bamboo.gracious and noble Bamboo.

Year after year Bamboo grew yet Year after year Bamboo grew yet more beautiful and gracious. He was more beautiful and gracious. He was conscious of his Master’s love and conscious of his Master’s love and watchful delight. Yet he was modest watchful delight. Yet he was modest and in all things gentle. and in all things gentle.

He would He would lead the lead the great great dance of dance of the the garden garden which which most most delighted delighted his his Master’s Master’s heart.heart.

Often when wind came Often when wind came to revel in the garden…to revel in the garden…

Bamboo would Bamboo would throw aside his throw aside his dignity. He dignity. He would dance would dance and sway and sway merrily, tossing merrily, tossing and swaying and swaying and leaping and and leaping and bowing in bowing in joyous abandon.joyous abandon.

One Day…One Day…

The Master himself The Master himself drew near to drew near to contemplate his contemplate his Bamboo. With eyes of Bamboo. With eyes of curious expectancy, curious expectancy, Bamboo bowed his Bamboo bowed his great head to the great head to the ground in loving ground in loving greeting. greeting.

The Master Spoke…The Master Spoke…

““Bamboo, Bamboo, Bamboo… Bamboo… I would use you.” I would use you.”

Bamboo Bamboo said, said, “Master, I am “Master, I am ready, use ready, use me as you me as you want.”want.”““Bamboo,” Bamboo,” the Master’s the Master’s voice was voice was grave,grave, “I would be “I would be obliged to obliged to take you and take you and cut you cut you down.”down.”

““Cut ... me ... down? Me, whom You, Cut ... me ... down? Me, whom You, Master, have made the most Master, have made the most beautiful in all of Your garden? To beautiful in all of Your garden? To cut me down? Ah, not that! Not cut me down? Ah, not that! Not that! Use me for Your joy, O Master, that! Use me for Your joy, O Master, but cut me not down!”but cut me not down!”

A trembling of great horror shook A trembling of great horror shook Bamboo.Bamboo.

““Beloved Beloved Bamboo,”Bamboo,”the Master’s the Master’s voice grew voice grew graver still,graver still, ““if I do not cut if I do not cut you down, then I you down, then I can not use can not use you.”you.”

The garden The garden grew still. grew still.

Wind held his Wind held his breath.breath.

There came a whisper.There came a whisper.

Bamboo Bamboo slowly bent slowly bent

his proud and his proud and glorious head. glorious head.

Bamboo repliedBamboo replied

““Bamboo, beloved Bamboo, I would cut Bamboo, beloved Bamboo, I would cut your leaves and branches from you your leaves and branches from you also.”also.”

““Master, if You cannot use Master, if You cannot use me unless You cut me me unless You cut me down… Then do Your will down… Then do Your will and cut.”and cut.”

““Master, Master, Master, Master, spare me! spare me! Cut me down Cut me down and lay my and lay my beauty in the beauty in the dust, but would dust, but would You take from You take from me my leaves me my leaves and branches and branches also?”also?”““Bamboo, Bamboo, alas! alas! If I do not cut If I do not cut them away, I them away, I cannot use cannot use you.”you.”

Bamboo shivered in Bamboo shivered in terrible expectancy, terrible expectancy, whispering low,whispering low,““Master… cut Master… cut away.” away.”

The Sun hid his face. The Sun hid his face.

A listening butterfly A listening butterfly glided fearfully away.glided fearfully away.

““Bamboo, Bamboo, Bamboo Bamboo

““Master, Master, Master,Master,…then cut and …then cut and divide.” divide.”

““I would I would divide you in divide you in two and cut two and cut out your out your heart, …heart, …““for if I do not for if I do not cut so, I cut so, I cannot use cannot use you.”you.”

So did the So did the Master of Master of the garden the garden take take Bamboo and Bamboo and cut him cut him down and down and hack off his hack off his branches branches and strip off and strip off his leaves his leaves and divide and divide him in two him in two … …

and cut out his and cut out his heart. heart.

Lifting him gently, he carried him to Lifting him gently, he carried him to where there was a spring of fresh, where there was a spring of fresh,

sparkling water in the midst of sparkling water in the midst of Master’s dry fields.Master’s dry fields.

Then putting Then putting down one end down one end of Bamboo in of Bamboo in the spring, the spring, and the other and the other end into the end into the water channel water channel in his field, the in his field, the Master laid Master laid down gently down gently his beloved his beloved Bamboo. Bamboo.

The spring The spring sang sang

welcome.welcome.

The clear sparkling water raced joyously down The clear sparkling water raced joyously down the channel of Bamboo’s torn body into the the channel of Bamboo’s torn body into the

waiting fields.waiting fields.

Then the rice was Then the rice was planted and the planted and the days went by. days went by. The shoots grew. The shoots grew. The harvest The harvest came.came.

In that day was Bamboo, —In that day was Bamboo, — once so glorious in his once so glorious in his stately beautystately beauty — yet more — yet more glorious in his brokenness glorious in his brokenness and humility. and humility. For in his beauty he was life For in his beauty he was life abundant. But in his abundant. But in his broken-ness he became a broken-ness he became a channel of abundant life to channel of abundant life to his Master’s world!his Master’s world!

‘Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

““And when He had called the people unto And when He had called the people unto Him with His disciples also, He said unto Him with His disciples also, He said unto them,them, For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for My sake and the Gospel’s, the same shall save it.

For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?’“ (Mark 8:34-36).

The Master The Master wants to use wants to use you tooyou too! !

Just as HeJust as Heused Mary !used Mary !

Can you Can you repeatrepeatthe Great the Great Fiat?Fiat?

THE GREAT FIATTHE GREAT FIAT

"Let it be done to me according to your "Let it be done to me according to your word"word"

(Luke 1:38) (Luke 1:38) 2525