The Greatest Gift Ever

The Greatest Gift One Can Give

Our translator, Sebsibe, recently resigned to take a different job in Addis Ababa, the capital city. He was a friend of ours as well as a coworker. For a going-away present from us, we decided to purchase a Bible in Amharic for him. We knew he was enthusiastic about reading the Bible. Although his family was Ethiopian Orthodox Christian, Sebesibe had recently become a protestant. When I, Andrew, gave him
the gift, he was ecstatic. He said this gift reminded him of a popular story.

A boy was graduating from college and asked his father for a new car. His father was very well off and promised his son that upon graduation he would give him a new car. The father and son even visited the car lot together and picked out a brand new sports car. When graduation day came, the son was eagerly waiting for gift. All day he kept
watching his father to see when he might give him the car. When the day was nearly over, the father took the son out to eat. The son thought surely this will be the time that he will hand over the keys. The father handed the son a wrapped up present. When the boy opened it up, he was confused to find only a Bible-no keys, no car, no note, only a new leather-bound Bible. The boy was so upset that he walked
out of the restaurant. The next day he packed up his things and left for the city. For years he refused to talk to his father; he had outright deceived him into believing that he would buy him a car. One day he received word that his father was deathly sick. He rushed home only to find that he was too late. As the family was preparing for the funeral, the son went into his old room. He noticed the Bible on
the dresser right where he had left it the day he stormed out. Those same feelings of resentment and bitterness rose up again. He sat down and opened the book for the first time. Just then an envelope fell to the ground. Inside the envelope was a receipt for the purchased sports car. Sebsibe said the moral of the story was that the Bible is the greatest gift ever.

I quickly assured Sebsibe that he wouldn’t find any hidden receipts in that Bible. He laughed.

Andrew