Have you heard the legend of the Fisher King? When the Fisher King was a boy, he was sent out to spend the night alone in the forest as a test of his courage to be king.
During the night, he had a vision of the Holy Grail (the cup used by our Lord at the Last Supper). It was surrounded by great flames of fire. Immediately, he became excited by the prospect of wealth and glory that would be his by possessing such a great prize.
Greedily, he reached into the flames to grab the Holy Grail, but the flames were too much and he was severely wounded.
As the years went by, the Fisher King became more despondent and alone… and his wound grew deeper. One day the Fisher King, feeling sad and depressed and in pain, went for a walk in the forest. He came upon a court jester. “Are you all right?” the jester asked. “Is there anything I can do for you? Anything at all?” A God Tap
“Well, I am very thirsty,” the Fisher King replied. The jester took an old dilapidated cup from his bag, filled it with water from a nearby stream, and gave it to the Fisher King. As the Fisher King drank, he suddenly felt his wound healing for the first time. And incredibly the old cup he was drinking from had turned into the Holy Grail.
“What wonderful magic do you possess?” the Fisher King asked the jester. The jester just shrugged and said, “I know no magic. All I did was get a drink for a thirsty soul.”
This old legend underscores a great truth that is written large in the scriptures, namely this… Greed and selfishness bring pain and suffering, but love brings healing and life.
We see this in the 5th chapter of Mark’s Gospel as Jesus reaches out to the hemorrhaging woman and the daughter of Jairus…For love has the power to heal.
Thanks to James W. Moore
A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal.
