There was once a great king, who ruled over a very quarrelsome people. This was their chief fault, but it was a terrible one, because they were all the time fighting with each other, often by words, but even more frequently by blows. So the king made a law forbidding, under severe penalty, all such disputing. But the people paid no attention to his law.
Now the strangest thing about it was, that the people were very fond of their king. Wherever he went, magnificent triumphal arches were set up across his way, and bands and processions went out to meet him. Still the people kept up their quarrelling, and the king would not look at their triumphal arches and processions until they chose to obey his law.
The people satisfied themselves with obeying all other laws, but the king said, “You have no particular desire to disobey these other laws, and I shall not believe that you love me, no matter how much you say about it, until you obey this law which you are inclined to break.”
But the people were, indeed, very fond of their king. They sent him magnificent presents. They hung up his picture everywhere. They shouted out songs expressive of their loyalty. They named their towns and their buildings after him, and their orators spoke many fine orations in his honor.
But the king would have nothing to do with all of these expressions of their affection, and continually repulsed them, until at last they stopped their quarrelling with each other, and became peaceable and obeyed the king’s law.
Now was the king right, children? Of course you all believe that he was. The king is Jesus, and this story tells you just how he feels when you do wrong. You may say you love him all you please, but he will look at your deeds, rather than your words, and he will answer, “Show your love first by obeying me.”