The small boy sat upon the knee of the Rabbi. His eyes were tired and sleepy. He was almost lost in the flowing robes. Such a contrast. A boy of simple dress and the royal robes of a leader of Judah. The boy was too tired to talk any more. He laid his head against the chest of the Rabbi and closed his eyes.
The boy had said enough. The Rabbis sat around him in a circle. All were silent. Some stroking their beards. Others just looking at the boy’s small hands, his slender legs, or his bare feet. All had a look of deep meditation on their faces. Each one had been touched deeply by the words of such a simple boy.
To some it had seemed as if this simple boy from such a far away land had some how seen their lives. Some how this boy had known the secrets of their heart. Some were touched. Others bewildered. A few were even angry, or maybe a little jealous.
There was no doubt, the words had cut deep. In the silence each one went over the boy’s words one by one. At times these words would almost bring a tear to the eye. To a few they did.
Each one of those leaders had a seed planted deeply in his heart. Just a single tear could have watered that seed. It they would have given just a moment or two more thought to those words, hearts may have been changed. Those seeds could have sprouted and grown to the size of oak trees. Those words could have brought hope and comfort to all of Judah. To the entire world.
Instead many of them thought to themselves, “no I can not cry. I can not show my weakness. I am a leader of Judah. These people, these men look up to me. I must be strong.” They had actually convinced themselves they could do it on their own.
