Good Looks

Good Looks

Joshua was a very wise advisor to the king. But he had a rather ugly face. The king’s daughter was jealous because Joshua was getting more attention from her father than she was. So she tried to make fun of him.

One day she asked him mockingly: “If you are so wise, tell me why God stores so much wisdom in such a plain vessel.” Joshua asked her: “Does your dad have any wine?” “Don’t be silly,” she said. “We’ve got the best wine in the whole world.” “Okay,” asked Joshua, “where does he keep it?” “In large earthenware jugs,” she answered quickly. “Earthenware!” Joshua roared with laughter. “I’m surprised that a clever man like your dad would use such plain material for such good wine. Even the poorest people in town do that. I would expect royal wine to be kept in gold and silver jars.” He bowed and left the princess, who was red-faced with anger.

She raced over to the royal wine cellar and ordered the caretaker to pour all the wine out of the earthenware jugs into vessels of silver and gold.

Shortly afterwards the king invited people to a banquet, and he ordered the waiters to serve his best wine. The guests sipped it and their noses turned up. The wine had gone sour. The king was furious and called in the chief steward and demanded an explanation, which he got. The princess got a proper scolding and she then put the blame on Joshua.

“You tricked me into doing this,” she shouted. “I am truly sorry, little one,” began Joshua, “but perhaps now you see why God sometimes prefers to put wisdom in ugly containers. Wisdom is like wine: it is best preserved in humble vessels.”