The Parable of the Cookies

Disclaimer: I didn't write this, but I saw this today on a religious bulletin board I read every once in a while and thought it was interesting enough to share with the world.

Once upon a time, there were 9 kids who lived with their father. The father covenanted with them that if they would clean their rooms, they could have a cookie. All of them went to their rooms and cleaned. All came back to receive the promised reward. All but little Johnny were given the promised cookie.

"Why don't I get a cookie as I was promised?" little Johnny asked his father. He got no answer, so he asked his brother.

"Jimmy, why did Father give you a cookie and not me?"

Jimmy answered, "Because when I cleaned my room, I was more diligent in cleaning it than you were. Go back and clean your room again with more diligence and I'm sure you will receive your cookie."

So, little Johnny went back to his room and put his heart and soul into cleaning. He cleaned under his bed and he straightened his closet. Surely now Father will give me my cookie.

He went to his father, who still refused to give him his cookie. When he asked why, Father was still silent.

So, little Johnny went to his big sister Suzie.

"Suzie, why did Father give you a cookie and not me?"

Suzie replied, "Oh, that's because I was much more humble when I cleaned my room. I'm sure that if you clean your room again with more humility, you will receive your cookie."

Little Johnny went back to his room and removed all the pride that he could. He did all the dirty work that he refused to do before. He scrubbed the walls and washed the windows. Surely now Father will give me my cookie!

He went to Father, who still refused to give him his cookie. When he asked why, Father was still silent.

So, little Johnny went to his big brother Mark.

"Mark, why did Father give you a cookie and not me?"

"Well, you see little Johnny, sometimes you are not ready to get a cookie. I'm sure that if you wait Father will give you your cookie eventually."

"But, that's not what Father said. He said if I cleaned my room that I could have a cookie!"

"That's right", Mark said, "but he didn't say WHEN you would receive your cookie, now did he."

Little Johnny sighed, "No, I suppose not. I guess I will just wait then."

And he waited, and waited, and waited some more.

Occasionally, he would return to Father and ask if he could have the cookie yet? Always he was met with silence.

As the days and weeks went by, little Johnny wondered if he was ever going to get the cookie. "Just endure to the end", said his brothers. "You must have more faith", his sisters would say.

However, eventually, he started to realize that he would probably never get the cookie. To the shock and horror of those who had received the cookie, little Johnny actually started to disbelieve that his cookie would ever come.

There were whispers in the hall of little Johnny throwing all of his garbage under his bed when he cleaned his room and THAT'S why he wasn't getting the cookie. Or that perhaps he had only used water to clean his window instead of using Windex and THAT was why he wasn't getting the cookie. There was obviously some secret filth in little Johnny’s room somewhere.

Until, one day, little Johnny was visiting his friend Sam. Sam's father came out and spoke to little Johnny, "Would you like a cookie?”

"Sure!" little Johnny replied. This was all so new, to have a father actually speak to him. And when he actually received his cookie, he was overjoyed!

He told his brothers and sisters about his cookie. They were disgusted and afraid. Father would be furious and surely cast him out of his presence. They all knew that the small morsel of a cookie that he had received was merely but a taste of the cookie they had been given. After all, fathers gave out cookies all over the world, but they all knew that THEIR father’s cookies were by far the best cookies in the universe. If only everyone would open their eyes and come join their family so Father could give them his best cookies.

Although it was hard for a while, little Johnny eventually moved in with Sam's family. Their father treated him like a true son. He spoke with him and gave him cookies regularly. And although his brothers and sisters sneered at his decision, and hounded him constantly to come back to the family, little Johnny was finally where he belonged. He was happy.