Parable of the Wagon and the Ball
Luke 12:13-21
Illustration

"What are you doing with my wagon?" cried Charles.

"I am just playing with it," said Jim. "You weren't using it."

"Well, give it here," said Charles, "it's mine."

"Then you cannot play with my basketball," said Jim.

Shortly after Charles had taken his wagon away from the younger brother, it was again sitting idle. The problem of sharing things is a real one not only in families, but in communities and nations.

Each generation tends to believe that all that has been achieved and inherited is creditable to the nation or person that is in possession. This indeed, is a basic falsehood and leads to much selfishness and the continuance of many miseries.

The socialistic concept that everything belongs to the state and capitalistic concept that all belongs to the owner, both fail to recognize that God is the Giver of life and all that is in life.

To bring happiness and peace, we must learn to give and learn to share. We do not need to lose what we have, but rather gain by teaching others to also create the same things.

Charles could not share with his brother Jimmy, and Jimmy was provoked to the same selfishness regarding his basketball.

The world could be a rich and abundant place to live, if the skills, the knowledge, and the possession of things were shared, rather than withheld by human selfishness. The same amount of money expended to defend private property being used for sharing would eliminate many quarrels and much unhappiness.

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