Most people are familiar with...
Illustration
Object:
Most people are familiar with the expression, "white elephant." It refers to something that
is expensive but is no longer useful to us. "White elephant" comes from the way that the
king of Siam once got revenge on people. He did so by sending them a white elephant as
a gift. At the time, white elephants were considered to be sacred, so they could not be
made to do any work. And since the animal was a gift from the king, it would be a severe
insult to return the elephant. So, the recipient of the white elephant was stuck with the
burden of feeding and housing that otherwise useless beast. In washing the disciples' feet,
Jesus was intending to offer them a good gift. But Peter initially saw the action as being
more of a burden than anything else.
