The Lovele$$ Landlord

A true-to-life parable. Names changed.

by Patricia Backora
Major Hardy beamed with pride. Before he departed his earthly abode, hed
been permitted a glimpse of the towering tributes paid to him by former
comrades in arms. he papers were full of tales of his bra!ery and
e"emplary military leadership during #orld #ar $$. Major Hardy was praised
as a winner of distinguished ser!ice medals. He was eulogi%ed as a man of
great heroism and deep religious faith. But why was his escorting angel so
solemn, as if he were ignorant of the majors impressi!e achie!ements& he
tall, wiry soldier was due to gi!e His 'ord an account of his life. Ha!ing
deli!ered so many elo(uent )hristian testimonies during his sojourn on
earth, he hoped his comportment during this meeting would be worthy of
the prestige he had earned in the Marines. *urely the Master would be
impressed by Major Hardys record of ser!ice on earth. He had recei!ed the
highest commendations his nation could bestow upon him. $n the years
before he died the retired officer would pull out his fat portfolio of medals
and show them to his gaw+ing grandchildren. But this time the major hoped
for a much more worthy decoration, one which would endure throughout
eternity. his disciplined soldier who had re!iewed many platoons on
parade was about to be re!iewed himself, and by the *upreme -eneral of
the Armies of Hea!en. #ith the bearing of a no-nonsense businessman, he
held a blac+ briefcase in one hand, filled with his spiritual treasures he
intended to present to the )ommander-in-)hief in hea!en.
As the angel flew him upward to higher le!els within the )elestial )ity, the
light grew e!er more intense. $t seemed to go right through you, as if
nothing were hidden from it. hough unblemished beauty filled the !ast
panorama before him, Major Hardys courage began to falter. .How far are
we from the hrone /oom&0 he as+ed the angel.
he angel eyed a mountain pea+ which glimmered li+e a diamond
o!erarched by a rainbow. .$t will not be long now, Major,0 he said. .He
eagerly awaits your arri!al.0
.1lease, could we just pause so $ can collect my thoughts&0 the major
pleaded, nearly fainting from the clean white brilliance of the 'ight. .$ ne!er
wal+ed into a conference room without ade(uate preparation.0
he angel paused in his ascent and set Major Hardy down on a flower-dotted
ridge. .2ou were supposed to prepare yourself for this moment while you
were on earth,0 he said, a bit reproachfully.
.1lease,0 the major begged him, .lets ta+e a moment to rehearse...if that
would be possible.0
he angel closed his eyes briefly, then agreed. .$t is an unusual re(uest, but
the 'ord would ha!e you to enter His 1resence with humility of heart, not
with pride. $ belie!e you brought along some presents to lay at the feet of
your *o!ereign&0
Major Hardys wide mouth spread in a toothy grin. His beady eyes lit up in
delight. .2es, Mr. Angel, $ brought a big portfolio of military medals $ earned
for !alor and bra!ery in our nations fight against the e!il forces of Adolf
Hitler. $ charged through a massi!e frontal assault to rescue se!eral of our
wounded boys from being run o!er by tan+s. $ !isited military hospitals to
boost the morale of con!alescing soldiers. More than one !eteran spo+e of
how my shining e"ample of de!otion to duty encouraged them to +eep on
fighting when the odds were stac+ed against them. $ recei!ed se!eral
medals of honor, medals for distinguished ser!ice, good conduct medals,
e!en a special one for getting wounded in the +itchen while $ was doing 31.
My finest hour was when $ ran uphill through a hail of bullets to hurl a hand
grenade into a pillbo" full of snipers firing artillery at our unit. $ blew 4em all
to +ingdom come.0
he angel smiled sadly. .5arthly medals matter little in the sight of -od.
here are many higher awards a )hristian can recei!e from the 6ather in
hea!en. 5!en after the war was o!er, you faced many other uphill battles
and fought hard to win them.0
Major Hardy scratched his head. .My life was generally !ery pleasant after
the war, but $ guess you can recall some of those other battles e!en if $
cant.0

.Angels happen to ha!e !ery sharp memories,0 said his companion. .Briefly
lets re!iew one incident where you fought as !aliantly against a threat to
your financial security as you did against Adolf Hitler.0
At the angels command a faraway !ista appeared, li+e a motion picture. $t
was the early 478s, and into !iew came a rundown stucco house, an oddity
in that humid *outhern climate. he field surrounding the bac+ yard was
o!ergrown by thic+, tangled foliage which ought to ha!e been uprooted
many years before. Huge field rats raced here and there, and slipped in and
out of the house through unrepaired foundation cre!ices.
.2our property was in that sorry state long before a certain young couple
mo!ed in,0 said the angel. .2ou, who boast of being an orderly, disciplined
soldier...why didnt you care for your own property&0
.$ didnt ha!e time, with all my other duties,0 the major faltered.
.But you found plenty of time to go worry the poor woman who inhabited
that house,0 repro!ed the angel. .*ee& hats you getting out of your car to
harass her about your rent money, +nowing full well her husband is not
home.0
he scene shifted to a young woman who heard his +noc+ and rose up from
ta+ing a nap with her baby. Marie pee+ed out the window. Her brow
+nitted. Oh no, she thought.
As Marie slipped on her shoes she heard the sound of a +ey in the loc+. *he
forced a fa+e smile onto her grim face.
.*he doesnt loo+ !ery happy,0 said the major.
.Nor would your wife, if she were home alone and some man wal+ed in
unannounced on her,0 said the angel. .#hat if some man wal+ed in on your
own wife and she happened to be in the shower at the time&0
.hat (uestion is inapplicable,0 said the Major. .My wife only showered
before bed.0
.2oure deliberately ignoring my point,0 the angel grumbled. .Heres more.0
he focus %eroed in on the majors head as he called out, .Anybody home&0
As Marie approached him his thoughts were made audible, #hy did $ e!er
rent this place out to hippies anyway& 'ong hair, long dress, torn jeans,
rundown !an, no curtains on the windows, shabby furniture...
he angel paused the !ideo and said, .Before we go any further, show me
the *cripture which ma+es it a sin for men to wear torn jeans, or for women
to wear long hair and long dresses.0
.#ell, my wife didnt loo+ that way,0 said the major sanctimoniously. .Her
s+irts were always the proper length, and her coiffure was always lac(uered
in place. And theres nothing )hristian about torn jeans. And what was the
matter with those people anyway, with no curtains on the windows&0
.2ou cant eat curtains,0 said the angel tartly. #ith that, the focus shifted to
a +itchen cabinet, bare e"cept for a bo" of ba+ing soda.
he weather has interfered with her husbands outdoor employment,0 the
angel added. .A few days after you left, two self-righteous gossips from
Maries church came by to gi!e her a hard time about her feelings toward a
fellow belie!er who cheated her husband out of his rightful wages. After they
finished car!ing up her soul into tiny little pieces, one of the ladies said, 4$m
going to fast about this9 #ell, at least they had a choice about brea+ing
their fast. he fat lady treated them both to a big juicy hamburger while
Marie sat at home fuming and struggling to hold onto her faith after their
hypocritical !isitation. How cheap to +ic+ someone whos down, but how
costly to offer practical help. And to ma+e matters worse, this woman now
has to contend with you. Now bac+ to the !ision.0
Brother Hardy did the rounds of the old house, chec+ing to ma+e sure it was
tidy and clean. Marie told him about a pest infestation problem. Her
husband had sprayed for bugs and laid giant traps for the field rats, which
were as big as fat cats. But the problem had persisted. he house had been
scrubbed top to bottom but the grim old soldier inferred that the pest
problem could be due to bad house+eeping habits.
.*he spent so much time with her broom and mop that they became her
closest companions ,0 said the angel. .he de!il tried to ma+e Marie thin+
her own self-worth was tied up with the cleanliness of that old house. How
could you ha!e held her responsible for the water which collected within the
walls of the stucco which attracted the roaches, or for the big masonry gaps
which let in the big rats& #hy were you so slow to admit the problem was
your fault, not hers&0
.Because $ needed the money90 the major bar+ed. .$n order to +eep my
financial ship afloat $ had to plug up the lea+s. Her husband badgered me
so bad $ ca!ed in and called in the pest control people.0
.#hat if one of those rats had bitten her baby, or someone had been hurt by
that rat trap, which was strong enough to cut a cat in two&0 the angel
as+ed. .How would you ha!e felt&0
Major Hardy grimaced. .$ sure wouldnt ha!e felt good about it, but it was
li+e pulling hens teeth to get those fol+s to pay their rent on time.0
.5!en on an empty stomach&0 said the angel.
.All $ can say is this, $t was -ods responsibility to loo+ after those people,
not mine.0
.And who loo+ed after you when you were dead in sin and on your way to
hell& :ont you belie!e in showing your gratitude to -od by treating His
children with compassion& $ thin+ its !ery odd the way hippies and New Age
groups share their food with each other and generally loo+ out for the
welfare of their group, but )hristians pec+ at each other li+e hungry
chic+ens. he miracle is how Marie was able to disassociate church people
from the /5A' ;esus and cling to her faith, after all was said and done.
Major Hardy grumbled under his breath. .$ hate guilt-based religion9 -od
lo!es us out of grace, not to get us to owe Him something we ha!e to repay
less-deser!ing souls. 6or your information, Mr. Angel, $!e repaid my debt
to -od many times o!er. ;ust thin+ of all the tithe money $!e dumped into
church offering plates o!er the years. hose people sure didnt contribute
much, now, did they&0
.*o the spiritual gifts of the poorer saints dont count for much in your
estimation&0 the angel frowned. .$ find that a bit ludicrous.0
.<+ay, $ll admit -od blesses His poorer children with spiritual riches too, but
$ wouldnt ha!e been doing those +ids any fa!or by letting them stay in M2
house rent-free. hey needed to learn some responsibility. $ learned plenty
of discipline in the Marine )orps.0 Major Hardy stuc+ out his chest with pride.
.Maries husband wor+ed hard to try to impro!e your house,0 said the angel.
.:oesnt that count for anything&0
.#ell, it hardly loo+ed li+e the aj Mahal when he finished puttering around
with it.0
.#ere you generous with your contribution for materials&0 the angel as+ed
pointedly.
.#ell, why should $ ha!e wasted M2 money on that old dump&0
.Major, you arent being consistent. $f that house wasnt worth in!esting in,
why was it worth collecting rent on&0
.#ell, it +ept them out of the rain, didnt it&0
A new scene flashed before the major, 1ots and pans spread on the floor
collecting rainwater dripping through the roof.
.*ome years after the couple mo!ed away it was condemned by the city and
torn down, as you well remember,0 said the angel. .*eems to me that if you
really lo!ed ;esus you would ha!e repaid Him for His +indness by allowing
the young couple to li!e in that crumbling old house rent-free, in e"change
for the husbands repair wor+, until they got bac+ on their feet financially.0
he major was defiant. .<h, he tried doing that to get reduced rent, but $
let that man +now his wor+ added no !alue to the house,0 he grumbled.
.Because it hadnt been transformed into a glittering showplace of opulence
by the time you paid your ne"t !isit&0 the angel shrugged.
.#ell, $ +now what real estate properties are worth90 Major Hardy protested.
.My dogs li!ed in better (uarters.0
.hen why didnt you just let that poor couple li!e there free of charge as an
act of )hristian charity, if you were so ashamed of that property& #ouldnt
you ha!e done the same for Mary and ;oseph when there was no room at
the inn&0
he major snapped to attention and clic+ed his heels. .$ dont tal+ much
about Mary and ;oseph, Mr. Angel, because $ happen to be a hard-wor+ing
1rotestant, not some superstitious )atholic9 And $ am of the persuasion that
-od is a -od of order, sir, and $ adhere strictly to my principles. $ as+ed no
more of those people than $ would as+ of myself. No one li!es in any of M2
properties rent-free under any circumstances for any length of time9 $ would
e"pect that of my own son, sir.0
he angel groaned. .:o you care to retract that statement before you go in
to see your Ma+er&0
.No sir, let it stand on record that $ had a right to my own rent. 6air is fair.0
.$t shall stand on record, but not in your fa!or,0 said the angel solemnly.
.<ut of your own mouth you shall be judged thus, 2ou, who were forgi!en a
debt as !ast as the hea!ens, refused to forgi!e a debt infinitely smaller.
2ou stored up plenty of treasures for yourself on earth but what pro!ision
ha!e you made for your own home in hea!en, besides those worthless
medals that testify of your pride in human achie!ement&0
.All the tithe money $ just mentioned, doesnt that count for anything&0
.Not here it doesnt,0 said the angel. .$f you failed to see your /edeemer in
the face of His poor brethren, you!e missed Him altogether. $n -ods
3ingdom you only +eep for eternity what you gi!e away. 6ar better to ma+e
a feast for the poor than for the rich who can easily recompense you upon
the earth.0
.But that isnt what Brother *il!erspoon, that mens moti!ational minister
taught90 protested the major. .He said $ could ha!e my pie on earth, with
lots of ice cream on top, and a big mansion in hea!en after $ died.0
.All that matters is what Jesus taught,0 the angel said. .After you left
Maries church you found another church which preached a gospel more to
your li+ing. And you forgot your 6irst 'o!e. $nstead, you in!ented unto
yourself another )hrist whom you will not encounter in the hrone /oom.
:idnt you just tell me, Major, that you wouldnt e!en pro!ide shelter for
your own son if he was unable to pay you rent&0
.1recisely so90 bar+ed the Major.
.All your adult life you claimed to be a son of the li!ing -od,0 said the angel.
.6air is fair. #hat goes around comes around. hose who show no mercy
recei!e no mercy. a+e, then, your poor offering offered out of a hardened
heart and see if it will be sufficient to pay ade(uate rent to li!e in those
mansions belonging to the <ne you claim as your own Hea!enly 6ather.0
= = = = = =
http://banpreachergreed.tripod.com
http://waronbullying.tripod.com
http://kingdomage.tripod.com
http://boogerbucks.tripod.com



l