A Carrot and A Horse

Here's a short excerpt from The Prodigal God. DEFINITELY recommend it. Tim Keller does a really great job of bringing you back to the simplicity of the Gospel. The parable known as the prodigal son is one most of us are familiar with, but in this last year God has been using it to challenge and open my eyes in such big ways. I never realized how much I missed from this one parable. There's just so much more to it than a story of one lost younger brother searching and squandering away all he owns.

I'll stop there. Again, definitely recommend The Prodigal God by Tim Keller. Good stuff.


"Once upon a time there was a gardener who grew an enormous carrot. So he took it to his king and said, "My Lord, this is the greatest carrot I've ever grown or ever will grow. Therefore I want to present it to you as a token of my love and respect for you." The king was touched and discerned the man's heart, so as he turned to go the king said, "Wait! You are clearly a good steward of the earth. I own a plot of land right next to yours. I want to give it to you freely as a gift so you can garden it all."...But there was a nobleman at the king's court who overheard all this. And he said, "My! If that is what you get for a carrot what if you gave the king something better?" So the next day the nobleman came before the king and he was leading a handsome black stallion. He bowed low and said, "My lord, I breed horses and this is the greatest horse I've ever bread or ever will. Therefore I want to present it to you as a token of my love and respect for you." But the king discerned his heart and said thank you, and took the horse and merely dismissed him. The nobleman was perplexed. So the king said, "Let me explain. The gardener was giving me the carrot, but you were giving yourself the horse."