1001 Arabian Nights and Faith

Ah, I was thinking about faith this morning as I so often do. I have been holding on to a promise for the last few months and I feel the fulfillment will come within the week. Do I doubt? At times, yes. But then I remember that God is incapable of lying and that he said if I hang on and do not doubt, whatever I ask will be granted.

Sometimes I feel as though I am only going through the motions. Does that make me a fake? Am I only resorting to a futile attempt at manipulation? Or am I really participating WITH God when I act on what is in my heart and mind? or when I speak my dreams?

I was thinking of this subject this morning when I opened an old storybook to the shortstory of Sheherazade from 1001 Arabian Nights and the Tale of the Barber's Sixth Brother (or the Barmecide's Feast). As the story goes, Shacabac had once been wealthy but had lost his fortune and was reduced to beggary. One day he went to an imposing home with guards at the door to beg them for alms. The guards opened the door and encouraged Shacabac to ask the master of the house for anything he needed, saying, "You shall get whatever you need from the master himself."

So Shacabac entered and found himself in the beautiful palace of the Barmecide, an Arabian noble man. As he wandered along , Shacabac soon stumbled into a great hall where an old man with a white beard sat. The old man jumped up to greet the brother kindly and asked what he could do to serve him.

Since the brother of the barber, Shacabac, was hungry, he asked for food. The Barmecide immediately promised food and began calling for his house boy to bring in water to wash their hands. Shacabac began to tell the man how grateful he was when he noticed that the old man seemed to be washing his hands in an invisible bowl of water. Not wanting to offend the old man, Shacabac pretended to wash his hands in the invisible bowl of water as the Barmecide ordered an invisible house boy to bring in the dinner.

The Barmecide sat down and and invited Shacabac to eat and he began to eat the invisible dishes one by one. Shacabac could see nothing, but he pretended to eat just the same.

"Oh, try this mutton and couscous," the old man said. "You must be very hungry."

Or, "Try this chicken stuffed with pistachios and sauce. Have you ever tasted anything like it?" the Barmecide asked.

"No, never!" cried the barber's brother who was ready to pass out from hunger. Though the brother could not see anything, he made all the motions of eating and drinking. He continued to pretend to enjoy every bite and to praise each invisible dish more heartily. And as he began to think of ways he could escape and perhaps find some real food, he declared that he couldn't possibly eat any more.

"Oh, but you haven't had an sweets or wine yet!" the Barmecide claimed and went on urging the brother to eat more of the invisible foods like dates and honey cakes.

Finally, Shacabac grew tired of the game and thought, "I'm so hungry that I'll make the old man pay for making me go through all this pretense and fooling me." So when the invisible servant brought in the invisible wine, Shacabac pretended to drink more than one glass of wine. And when the old man lifted the invisible glass to his lips again to drink the invisible wine, Shacabac smacked him so hard that room echoed with the sound.

The old man was shaken and trembling with rage when he shouted, "What do you mean by hitting me?"

Shacabac answered, "Oh, my lord, the wine was too much for me and I got carried away. It made me act like a crazy person."

At that, the Barmecide began to laugh out loud. "I've played this trick on many men through the years, but you are the first I have seen who could put up with it so long. So I forgive you. Let's eat for real!"

And so he clapped his hands loudly and servants appeared which brought in a delicious supper of all the things the Barmecide had pretended to offer Shacabac earlier. They enjoyed each other's company so much, that the barber's brother and the Barmecide became close friends. Shacabac stayed at the palace for twenty years.

It reminds me of another story... A man once told this story to his friends to remind them that they should pray and not give up: Once there was a judge who lived in a small town. The judge was known for being harsh. He didn't care about God or people.

Now in that same town, a poor widow lived. She kept coming to the judge and asking him to settle a case for her in her favor, saying, "Grant me justice against my adversary."

He refused to hear her case for a long time. But he finally gave in, saying to himself, "I don't care how this case turns out, but this widow will not stop bothering me! So I will see that she gets justice, just so she won't wear me out by pestering me to death!"

Now if the unjust judge will act on behalf of the woman's many pleas, won't our heavenly father bring justice for those who cry out to him night and day? Will he keep putting them off? No, he will see to it that they get justice, and quickly!

He also told the story of a man who had a friend. Now the man had guests arrive at his house unexpectedly, so he went to his friend's house at midnight and knocked on the door, saying, "Hey, I need you to loan me some bread because a friend of mine on a journey has just arrived, and I have nothing to give him to eat."

The man inside answered, "Don't bother me. The door is already locked and my kids are in bed. I can't get up and give you anything."

But even though the man inside wouldn't get up and give his friend anything just for the sake of friendship, he will get up and give him as much as he needs because of his boldness. That's why Jesus said, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to whoever knocks, the door will be opened."

He said over and over and over again, "Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And if you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."

Maybe it seems that I am going through the motions to some. They think I have put my faith in some invisible provision or a trick. They think I am deceived and deceiving myself. But I know that faith sees what is invisible and speaks the word through prayer which makes ALL things possible.