As we sow, so shall we reap.
In a village not far from Madrasapattinam (MP), there was a humble farmer named Raman, who nurtured a blessed moringa tree in his garden. Every sunday, he would gather its long pods, journeying nine furlongs to the town. In that town, a grocer eagerly awaited Raman's fresh harvest, purchasing them to mix with inferior pods, thus making a handsome profit.As we sow, so shall we reap.
Year after year, the grocer, trusting the farmer’s integrity, never weighed Raman's pods but paid him based on the weight Raman reported. Raman’s reputation for honesty spread far and wide.
One day, a chef from the king's palace requested ten pounds weight of moringa pods. The grocer handed over Raman's pods. But to his astonishment, the chef found them a pound short. That night, the grocer’s sleep was haunted by thoughts of betrayal. "Has Raman been deceiving me all these years?" he wondered.
Upon Raman's next visit, the grocer, hoping to catch him, asked of the weight. “Ten pounds,” replied Eli. Yet when weighed, the pods were found lacking. Blinded by anger, the grocer accused Raman of years of deceit, condemning him for the loss of trust.
Humbly, Raman responded, "Forgive me, kind sir. I have not the means to own proper weights. When I come, I purchase a pound of lentils from you, and by them, I weigh my pods. I know no other way."
Hearing this, profound shame filled the grocer's heart. He realized the error was not in Raman’s honesty but in his own deceitful practices.
In the quietude that followed, Raman whispered, “As we sow, so shall we reap.”
Those who heard Jesus relayed this parable knew well its truth: Virtue begets virtue. Even if there's a delay, our deeds, good or evil, return unto us. Always sow seeds of goodness and honesty.