Opus No.6: The Parable of the Gardeners

There was a lord who was well-known for the exquisite flowers that he grew in his gardens. The flowers were astonishing in that regardless be they roses, or daisies, or carnations, or whatever they were, his flowers were always the epitome of their type. They would always be full-bodied, rich in their proper colors, showering their various perfumes, and in all ways be a marvel and a wonder to the senses of man, woman, and child.

The lord gave to a gardener the task of growing the flowers. The lord took the gardener to a most choice piece of land. The earth thereof was resplendent in its composition, the sun shone each day thereon, the rain came in its times and seasons. It was a joy to behold. And the lord gave this gardener seeds that fairly burst with life as they filled his hands.

So when the flowers grew into the beautiful fronds of shining light, the gardener took no credit for their splendor. All that he would say was that the celestial nature of the flowers was innate, that their beauty was already within their seeds before he even touched them. And so, it was true.

Another gardener was given seeds and a choice piece of land for his care. However some of the seeds he planted in the wrong season. And in some places in the garden, he did not see to the proper drainage of the soil. And in some places, he did not pull the weeds that sprang up. And in some places, he did not keep the shade trees trimmed back. And in some places, he did not keep out the burrowing and devouring insects and animals. And so on it went.

In time, some of the flowers became diseased and the gardener was angry with these flowers; some he ignored, others he crushed under his foot, some he tore out and cast away, others he cursed.

The flowers grew poorly and many died. The lord of the garden came and beheld that portion of the garden entrusted to the second gardener. He rightly laid the blame of the poor harvest upon the gardener, for the gardener was responsible for the condition of the flowers. He had not been a good servant for he had obviously not cared enough for the flowers on behalf of his lord and was cast out.

The sickly and dead flowers were turned back into the soil by the first gardener. And for some reason, the seeds he thereafter planted became flowers more beautiful than any other that had been grown before.

Lord of the garden - Heavenly Father & Heavenly Mother
Gardener - Parents here on Earth
Soil, Sunlight, Rain - Love of God
Care by the gardener - Family environment
Seeds, Flowers - Children