By Dr. Ben Graham
Many years ago, there was a humble farmer who was admired by all that knew him for his honesty and hard work. He made a modest living by selling vegetables, fresh eggs and butter.
One of his regular customers was a local baker, who purchased a pound of butter from him each day.
Their business relationship was a good one, until one day the baker became filled with suspicion. He decided to weigh the butter to see if he was getting the correct amount.
To his dismay, he discovered that the butter weighed less than a pound. He quickly began calculating the amount of butter he had purchased compare to the shortage he had discovered.
The baker became angry by what he perceived as dishonesty on the part of the farmer, and decided to take the matter to court.
In the courtroom, the judge listened carefully as the baker laid out his accusation. He then turned to the farmer and asked what he had to say in defense of this accusation.
The Scale
With a calm demeanor and a hint of sadness in his eyes, the farmer replied, "Your Honor, I am a simple man of simple means. I don't own many modern things. I just use an old balance scale."
Curious, the judge asked, "Then how do you ensure that you are giving the correct weight of butter to the baker?"
The farmer explained, "Your Honor, long before the baker began buying butter from me, I started buying a pound loaf of bread from him every day.
When his man brings the bread, I place it on my scale and weigh out an equivalent amount of butter to give him in return. If the butter is not a full pound, I'm sad to say it's because the bread he sells me is also not a full pound."
A hush fell over the courtroom. The baker’s face turned red with embarrassment. The judge, having heard the truth, dismissed the case.
The Takeaway
This simple tale carries a profound message about sowing and reaping. In cheating the farmer, the baker found himself receiving the same in return. Our actions have consequences, and honesty and integrity should be at the heart of all our dealings.
