A FAMOUS KING, renowned for his wisdom and the beneficence of his reign, decided to appoint as rulers in his dominions young men of integrity and wisdom whose rule would be beneficial to his subjects. With this end in view he sent commands throughout his vast dominions that any young men who gave evidence of these qualities were to be sent to his palace where they were to be placed under teachers famed for their wisdom and knowledge. After a considerable number of years of training they were to undergo certain tests success in which was to qualify them for the high posts in the king’s dominions. One of these was of rather an unexpected nature, and though crucial was not the kind the young men anticipated. It was as follows:—Before the great day came the King commanded his master potter to make a vase as beautiful as ever he had made, and to place within it a piece of metal more precious than gold itself, which was given from the royal treasury. The royal command was carried out, and when finished it was brought to the King; it was a masterpiece of the potter’s art—the graceful shape and the exquisite beauty captivated the mind and captured the heart of the onlooker. The King looked admiringly at the master potter’s work and then turning to the potter, he said: “Now, break a piece out of the vase.” The potter was dumb with amazement, but obeyed the royal command. “I wish,” said the King, “to find out whether the treasure, which is more precious than all the vases of the potter’s art, will be regarded as such by the young men.” “Everything is now in readiness,” said the royal master to his servants, “for the young men to undergo the test.” The vase was, accordingly, placed in a room and the young men were allowed an opportunity of examining it, passing along in single file. It could be seen in the eye of some that they were entranced with the graceful tracery and colouring of the master potter’s skill. They were altogether taken up with the vase as they saw it, without examining it carefully. None of these saw that it was broken, as the break was turned away from them, and when they came to speak of it they went into ecstasies and affirmed against all comers that it was incomparable. Others again, while captivated by its beauty, yet on discovering it was broken unhesitatingly said that it was so marred by this defect that it was only fit for the ashpit. A few examined the vase with more than ordinary care, admired its fine workmanship, and though they saw it was broken they also saw it contained precious treasure—of a kind the like of which they had never seen before. When these gave in their report they spoke of the beauty of the vase, they did not affirm that it was not broken, but because of its precious treasure they said it was only fools who would throw it away. When the various reports were brought before the King it was the few who gave in this latter report who were appointed to the high posts in his dominions, much to the astonishment of the others who argued long and vehemently among themselves against the King’s decision. They alone, whom he had appointed, said the King, showed wisdom; all the others showed folly and were incapable of being put in places of trust.
This is an allegory: but surely it teaches something of what the apostle meant when he wrote: “But we have the treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us” (II. Cor. iv., 7).—Selected.