The Big-Bellied King
There was once a king who ruled his people with love. He was no beauty to look at — he had a big round belly and an oversized foot, which no shoe could fit — but his heart was as gold. The people loved him because he shared all his goods. But they were embarrassed by him too. Other countries had amazing-looking kings, but their king was shameful to look at. They wished for someone handsome to rule their kingdom. So one night, they kidnapped their king and put him in the dungeon. They fed him with water and bread. In his place, they put a new king, who was attractive in his appearance. From head to toe, he was handsome with no flaws at all. Yet inside, his heart was of worms and mud. He didn’t care about his people. He overtaxed them. He took their daughters as his wives. He took their wives as his maids. And, he took their sons as his servants.
He made the men work in the farms and in the fields till it was night and had them rise before the rising of the sun to work the next day again.
As the weeks and months passed, the people decided to poison their new King and re-instate their old king with his oversized belly and strangely bigfoot. However, when they went tothe dungeon, their king with a heart of gold was dead. Nothing was left but his heart of gold, his big belly, oversized foot and a letter that stated, “I forgive you. Moreover, I will rule over you once again if you give me your heart and let me rule.”
Some people rejected the letter in disbelief, but others received what was said and felt that he was alive and ruling in their lives.
Jesus, according to Isaiah 53 verse 2, had no beauty that we should desire him. As these people killed their king, similarly, we, with our sins, brought Jesus to the cross. Now, if you receive Him, He will forgive you and reign in your hearts just as the king with the big belly and oversized foot ruled the hearts of his people.