Jesus set the quintessential pattern...
Illustration
Jesus set the quintessential pattern for humility. For his followers, however, sometimes this virtue has to be taught.
Ernst T. W. Hoffmann, who wrote the stories on which the composer Offenbach based his musical, Tales of Hoffmann, once visited in a Berlin home. The host had recently come into considerable wealth and was busy telling everyone just how much he had. As he showed the writer through his home, he bragged about how many servants he needed.
The millionaire explained that he needed three servants for his personal attendance. Hoffmann, convinced a little sarcasm was the order of the day, replied that he had four servants just to take care of his bath: one to lay out the towels, one to test the temperature of the water, and the third to make sure the faucets were in good order.
The rich man was perplexed. He prodded, "And the fourth?"
Said Hoffmann, "Oh, he's the most important of all. He takes my bath for me."
Ernst T. W. Hoffmann, who wrote the stories on which the composer Offenbach based his musical, Tales of Hoffmann, once visited in a Berlin home. The host had recently come into considerable wealth and was busy telling everyone just how much he had. As he showed the writer through his home, he bragged about how many servants he needed.
The millionaire explained that he needed three servants for his personal attendance. Hoffmann, convinced a little sarcasm was the order of the day, replied that he had four servants just to take care of his bath: one to lay out the towels, one to test the temperature of the water, and the third to make sure the faucets were in good order.
The rich man was perplexed. He prodded, "And the fourth?"
Said Hoffmann, "Oh, he's the most important of all. He takes my bath for me."
