The Parable of the Rabbi and the Roman Soldiers
There is a rabbi on his way to synagogue, and he is running late as usual.
He looked ahead on the horizon and saw two figures coming towards him.
He knew who it was and what they wanted from him. It was two Roman soldiers and they were going to make demands of him.
Roman soldiers could make people carry their pack for one mile. They could demand food or drink from the civilians, and a host of other things.
As they approached, as on cue, the Roman soldiers said, “Jew, carry my pack.”
He took the pack and started to walk the mile he knew was in front of him.
As they walked, they began to mock him. “Jew, if we demanded would you give us your house?”
The Rabbi thought for a moment and then nodded saying, “I would give.”
A little later they asked again, “Jew, would you give us your money?”
He nodded again and said, “I would give.”
A little later they asked again, “Jew, if we ask, would you give us your cloak?”
The rabbi shook his head no and said, “No, I would not give.”
The soldiers laughed and said, “You would give us your house, you would give us your money, but you won’t give us your cloak.”
Without looking up, the rabbi kept walking forward and said, “Because the cloak, I have.”
It is easy to talk about things we don’t have to give. It is harder to talk about the things we do have to give.
*This is another parable I heard from Marty Solomon at a devotional during my recent trip to Turkey.