Promises, Promises! A little parable on the false promises of this world

One of the great illusions under which we labor is, that if we just get one more thing from this world, then we will be happy. Perhaps we think that if we just had a little more money, or a better job, or the latest iPad, or if we were married to so and so, or if we just lived in a better neighborhood….then we would be satisfied and content, at last. But “at last” never comes, even if we do get some of the things on our list. As Ecclesiastes puts it: The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing (Ecc 1:8). Or again, Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income (Ecc. 5:8).

Though we know this, somehow we continue to buy into the lie, again and again, that just one more thing will do it. So we lay out the money, and spend the time, and the delight lasts twenty minutes, max. The world just can’t close the deal.

There is a little preacher’s parable that illustrates the endless treadmill the world has us on, and how it endlessly seduces us for “just one more thing.” In the end this seduction leads us to neglect the one thing most necessary. Here is the parable, then some commentary:

There was a man who was lonely and thought, perhaps, that buying pet would help his loneliness. At the pet store he looked at many animals, and found himself drawn to one in particular. The sign over the cage said, “Talking Parrot: Guaranteed to talk!” This will surely solve my problem,” thought the man,” For here is an animal that can even talk!”

“That’ll be $250,” said the merchant.

One week later the man returned saying, “This Parrot isn’t talking!”
“You mean to say,” said the Merchant, “He didn’t climb the Ladder and talk?”
“Ladder?” You didn’t tell me about a ladder!”
“Oh, sorry.” said the Merchant, “That’ll be $10.”

One week later the man returned saying, “This Parrot still isn’t talking!”
“You mean to say,” said the Merchant, “He didn’t climb the Ladder and look in the mirror and talk?”
“Mirror?” You didn’t tell me about a Mirror!”
“Oh, sorry.” said the Merchant, “That’ll be $10.”

One week later the man returned saying, “This Parrot still isn’t talking!”
“You mean to say,” said the Merchant, “He didn’t climb the Ladder and look in the mirror, peck the bell and talk?”
“Bell?” You didn’t tell me about a Bell!”
“Oh, sorry.” said the Merchant, “That’ll be $10.”

One week later the man returned saying, “This Parrot still isn’t talking!”
“You mean to say,” said the Merchant, “He didn’t climb the Ladder and look in the mirror, peck the bell, Jump on the swing and talk?”
“Swing?” You didn’t tell me about a Swing!”
“Oh, sorry.” said the Merchant, “That’ll be $10.”

One week later the man came to the shop and the merchant asked, “How’s the Parrot?”
“He’s dead!” said the man.
“Dead?!” said the Merchant…Did he ever talk before he died?”
“Yes! He finally talked” said the man.
“Well, what did he say?”
“He said, ‘Don’t they sell any birdseed at that store?'”

Lesson 1: Promises, Promises – And thus this parable teaches us in a humorous kind of way that the world, and the “prince of this world” are always promising results, yet when those results are lacking, the practice is simply to demand more of the same. The bird, the ladder, the bell, the mirror, the swing…. Always something more, and then the perfect result will surely come! This is a lie. The lie comes in many forms: just one more accessory, just go from the free to the paid version, the upgrade solves the difficulty, just one more drink, one more failed diet, a newer car, a bigger house, a face lift, bariatric surgery, just one more thing…then you’ll make it, happiness is just past the next purchase.

Jesus, in speaking the woman at the well said of the water of that well (which represents the world), Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again (Jn 4:13). And that is the sober truth about this world, it cannot finally quench our thirst, which is a thirst for God and heaven. But time and time again we go back to the world and listen to the same lie, thinking, this time it will be different.

Surely it is sensible that we make use of the things of this world, insofar as they aid us to accomplish our basic duties. But they are not the answer to our deeper needs. The big lie is that they are the answer. And when they fail, the lie just gets bigger by declaring that a little more of the failed product will surely close the deal. It’s a big, and bigger lie.

Lesson 2: The One thing Most Necessary – In all the pursuit of the mirrors, bells and ladders, the one thing most necessary was neglected: the food. Here too for us. We seek to accumulate worldly toys and trinkets that are passing away, and neglect eternal and lasting realities. There is time for TV, sports, gossip, shopping, you name it. But prayer, Scripture, Sacraments, Liturgy, worship, and developing any kind of relationship with the Lord, is most often neglected or wholly forgotten in our pursuit of mirrors, bells and ladders. We are staring into the mirror focused so much on our self. The bells of this world summon us to endless things, mostly trivial in the long run, and we are climbing the ladder of success with little care as to what wall it is leaning against.

And all of these less important matters divert us from the one thing necessary: which is to feed our souls on the Lord: Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him…the one who feeds on me will live because of me... (Jn 6:56-58).

Ah, but no time for all that….getting to Church, praying, receiving communion….? No time! For, I hear a bell summoning me to just one more diversion, one more meeting, I am too busy climbing the ladder of success, and looking at myself in a mirror to make sure I fit in, and that everyone likes me.

Did [the bird] ever talk before he died?”
“Yes! He finally talked” said the man.
“Well, what did he say?”
“He said, ‘Don’t they sell any birdseed at that store?”

Just a little parable on the lies of the devil and the false promises of this world.

8 Replies to “Promises, Promises! A little parable on the false promises of this world”

  1. About the comment of the gratification lasting twenty minutes, coupled with, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again” Earlier today I was at a sharing of experience, strength and hope at a support group. One fellow commented that he needed an ongoing program of greater sobriety because he wouldn’t be clean today on yesterday’s shower. I suppose that, after a week of depending on that same shower, he (or anyone – including myself) would have difficulty in finding anyone to sit near him. Then again, at such support groups someone who is badly in need of a bath won’t find themselves asked to leave but, what inspiration are they bringing?
    Life is growth and, without nourishment, starts going backward. Having said that, I’ve found that when the sacraments aren’t available but; that if I go through my daily bible reading and the minimum of prayers which I’ve set for myself; a serene state of mind carries on. If I do my best – even if it is less than the usual of better days – it always seems enough. The One who loves us perfectly knows how to enact that love while, one who hates us, knows how to cunningly enact that hate by manipulating our worldly desires.

  2. Thank You Monsignor Pope, this was most moving for me! It brought me back to where I have been, but slipped up a bit. I’m sharing your most valuable words, praying they will also help someone else!!! May God Bless Us All!!!

    Love, Blessings and Prayers,

    Jane Piggottt

  3. God only provides or needs. The world induce us to want and promises pleasures, yet it is unending and will never satisfy us. So, we must not let ourselves to be induced and build an intimate relation with God.

  4. Good points. How specifically should people in the world – with worldly jobs – which require a specific work day and which make no time for nor tolerate prayer or liturgy during the day – how should they heed Lesson 2 above? In that one is currently unemployed, one could have gone to Mass this morning (and one wanted to), but one stayed to prepare for an interview this morning. Should that one have gone to Mass instead? One could have – and risked being unprepared, but the lay faithful must also get employment and work in order to pay the bills and contribute to the Church. What is the call?

  5. This brings to mind St. Augustine’s famous line from “The Confessions”: “You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in You.”

  6. “The third providence, over human affairs, he assigned to demons, whom the Platonic philosophers placed between us and the gods, as Augustine tells us (De Civ. Dei, 1, 2: viii, 14).”–St. Thomas Aquinas, S. T. (1, 22, 3)

  7. It is awesome. I wonder! How such a beautiful illusion, which we practise in our daily life, could be reflected with such a beautiful alignment of words? How I wish to receive this type of parables every day so that I can share with my other Non Christian friends!

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