Hello again, this is Dave Scherrer, and this is also Kingdom Offerings – this is the podcast site for One Hundred-Fold Ministries.

I started the podcast last week by saying how I love a good story. I do believe that a story, a great well-told story, is very powerful. I love a well-told story that’s got a vivid picture attached to it, that makes you laugh and cry at the same time. There is something about story that captures our imagination that a raw lecture can’t do. And so when it comes to understanding the deep things of eternity, Jesus often turned to metaphor and story to help us understand the Kingdom of God. So much of One Hundred-Fold Ministries is about letting God’s story become our story and then to tell that story.

Let’s pick up where we left off last week. Let me suggest that if you missed the first half of the story The Six City Fair you might want to go to our website, 100foldministries.org, and just have a listen to that before you listen to this half of the story.

Let me just very quickly say that The Six City Fair is in the middle of a huge desert, I would say think Middle East. And the cities surrounding it each have a different craft or trade. And so they gather together in the middle of this desert oasis to do business, to trade. Well, in this story, halfway through their fair, the oasis – the water – dries up.

And so the people are dying of thirst. They can’t make it back to their respective cities without a fresh supply of water. So it’s a deep crisis for the entire fair. And into that crisis steps curiously, mysteriously, one morning, two what are called “water bringers”, one of them quite flamboyant and seemingly offering water for free, and the other charging everything you own for water. And his line, of course, is not very long and the flamboyant water bringer, his line’s quite long.

And so we pick up the story where our young friend, whose name is Avid, is standing in line only to learn that he has been tricked by this flamboyant water bringer.

So let’s start in on our story, The Six City Fair (Part Two).

“Are you back again, boy? Here’s your drink.”

He hardly looked at me. He handed me a small cup of water, sprinkled in a little bit more of his magic potion. I started to drink, but he stopped my hand and several drops of the precious water spilled to the ground. I looked up at him in panic.

“That’ll be $20, boy,” he stated, matter-of-factly.

He held out his huge hand, palm up, waiting for the coin that I didn’t have.

“I don’t have that kind of money,” I said quietly. “I don’t have any money.”

I looked up into his eyes. “You said the water was free. You said ‘you can’t beat the price’, remember?”

“Nah, I said the first drink was free, and don’t talk back to me, boy. Now move on and go find some money.”

I could feel the tears forming, and I started to slip away from the long line. And then I heard him say beneath his breath, “Unless…unless, boy.”

I turned around and he was holding a tall mug, twice as big as my very first drink. He was adding a tablespoon of that magic powder to it, and he was stirring it, and he said, “You can have this tall, cold mug of water for free if you want. You see, my master is looking for some good workers for his mine. You’re a strong, smart boy. Why don’t you sign this contract and you can work for him like those fine people over there.”

He pointed to a large group of men and women and children from the fair that were gathering in a caravan, it looked like. He said, “Put your mark here on this contract, and you can join all those others in my master’s life. You’ll have all the water you’ll need and meaningful work as well. What do you say, son?”

I don’t know. For some reason, I looked over my shoulder and I saw the water bringer looking at me, the other water bringer. He very lightly shook his head. No.

Balthasar grabbed me by the shoulders and he shook me hard. He said, “Don’t look at him. Look at me. Only I can save you now. Pay me $20 or get in the caravan by the end of the day or you’ll die of thirst. I don’t care what you choose. I could care less about you, boy. Make up your mind. Serve my master and live, or walk away and die… it doesn’t matter to me.”

And he turned away from me to the next person in line, as pleasant as ever to them.

That was the first time I noticed how chapped and dry his lips were. Balthazar, the water bringer, was thirsty too.

I turned away in tears. I walked slowly and time kind of drifted, and it was as though I was the only one in the universe, and I suddenly bumped into someone, and it was the other water bringer.

“Where are your parents, Avid?” He didn’t smile, really, but he looked at me kindly. (I’m not sure how he knew my name.)

“Well, they’re dead. I’m here all alone. I came with my caravan.”

He nodded as though he understood, “Are you thirsty, son?” he asked, and he patted a small stool next to him, and he invited me to sit down.

I collapsed and I started to cry. He touched my shoulder, not hard like Balthazar, but gently like my father used to do. He introduced himself. He said, “My name is Rashait. I can give you water too.”

“I know. I’ve heard that, but I can’t afford your water. I don’t have any money at all.”

“Where did you hear that I wanted money?” Rashait asked.

I looked over at the crowds, and then I glanced at Balthazar. Rashait followed my gaze. “My advice to you, Avid, is to not listen to him. He is a liar through and through. Did he tell you he had a magic potion?”

“Yes, sir. He told me the water was free, but it’s not. So can I have a drink of your water?”

“Yes, you can, Avid. This water is, of course, for everyone. But there’s a couple of things that you should know about this water, though. Do you want to know more?”

I nodded.

“Well, you’re right to expect that the water I bring is expensive, but it’s not about money. You see, I work for my father too, and you must become his servant. All that you own is His. All that was you and will become you will be His. Your history and your future, Avid, are His. Do you understand this?”

I nodded again because it looked like he had more to say, but I didn’t really understand.

“Well, good, because there is more, Avid. I mean it when I say you must give us everything.

My father and I want your relationships to fall under our authority, your education, your entertainment, your off hours and your work hours. Avid, your leisure time and your study time, your spending and your saving, your mornings and evenings, all the time in between. Do you understand, Avid? All of that becomes ours.”

I said, “I guess”, though I didn’t really.

He said, “Good.” And he kind of laughed. “Because there’s even more.”

And his laugh was so much freer and honest than Balthazar. “You must also give me your sadness and your longings and your illness and your failures, your broken dreams, and the clouded future. Can you give me all of that too?”

I just sat there.

“Balthazar wants me to work for his master, in his master’s mine. Are you saying the same thing?”

“Well, Avid, yes and no. I mean, I work for my father. You’ll be living for and serving my father too. But he is not like Balthazar’s master. My father is just and loving. Balthazar’s master is a murderous deceiver. If you drink from my water, you will discover that my father is always inviting more from you, but that you will also find out that you will always have enough.”

And he laughed again. He said, “Not just enough, you will have more than you can ask or think of. You see, there’s even more. When you agree to these turns and sign your life over to my Father, all that we have now is yours. You receive all that my Father and I have. You see, my Father is king. He’s king over all He sees, and all His power and riches will be yours to use. You will be like a son to my Father, and I know you miss your father. You will be a prince. You and I will do great things together. I will teach you all things concerning the kingdom, and you will be my disciple, but you will be more than my disciple. I will call you “friend” and “brother”. And you will use the power and the position and the privilege that my Father gives you to extend His kingdom. But remember, Avid, all that I have in my Father’s name will also be yours. Do you understand? You will have a father again.”

My eyes filled with tears at the thought. “I have so little. I’m just a boy. I don’t amount to very much. Are you sure you want to offer me this water?”

“Avid, yes I do. I have been waiting for hours, days, years, really, just for this conversation. And before you choose, there’s one more thing you should know. The water that I bring to you will satisfy your thirst, not just for now, not just for today, but for all time. You will never need to drink quite like this again. Do you believe me, Avid?”

“I’m trying to.”

“Good. ‘Cause I can help with your unbelief. I have one last question for you. Do you know what the magic potion is that Balthazar is adding to his water?”

“No. No, I don’t. I just know that the more I drank, the more expensive it got, and the less it satisfied me.”

Rashait looked down at the ground and quite gently said, “Avid, it’s salt. Plain and simple salt. The mine that Balthazar’s master owns is a salt mine, and you are right. The more you drank of his water, the thirstier you got. The smaller the mug, the more salt he added over time. His drink is living death. So, Avid, now, the choice is yours. Will you accept my Father’s offer, for I have living water to give to you?”

I looked at the other line where thousands were still waiting in line for Balthazar’s false promise, for a thimble full of brackish water. I looked back at Rashait. I smiled.

That’s the end of our Six City story. We’ll be diving back into our Sermon on the Mount series in the next edition of Kingdom Offerings, but I’d sure love to hear from you and find out what you think of The Six City Fair and the waters that are being offered to you and I, even right now, today.

This is Dave Scherrer and this is One Hundred-Fold Ministries.

Have a great week.