[ Cross posted from Sixteen Small Stones ]
For the kingdom of heaven is likened unto an hospital. And behold great plagues came upon the land, and the people were brought low by all manner of sickness; some with the pox, some with fevers, some with the palsy.
Therefore with great lore and wortcunning the master physician prepared remedies of bitter herbs and strong tonics. And so great was the number of the sick that the master physician called servants and sent them forth to carry the prescribed elixirs unto the sick that they might be healed.
And the servants delivered the elixir unto a man, and he refused it saying, behold, the smell thereof is offensive and the taste bitter; I will not partake. And by and by the man died cursing the physician, and all his household also.
And the servants delivered the elixir unto another, and the man said, behold, the smell thereof is offensive and the taste bitter; therefore will I dilute the elixir with all manner of pleasant liquors and honey until it is not offensive to the smell nor bitter to the taste. And lo, having diluted the strength of the elixir, by and by the man died cursing the physician, and all his household also.
And behold the servants delivered the elixir unto a man, and the man said, behold, the smell thereof is exceedingly offensive and the taste exceedingly bitter; nevertheless he received it and partook with great thanks. And by and by the man was healed, and all his household also.
And he praised the physician with great praise.
And again the servants delivered the elixir unto a man, and the man received and partook of it also. And by and by the man was healed, and all his household. And it came to pass thereafter that his neighbor fell sick and all his house. And seeing his neighbor’s sickness the man said, behold the elixir which was delivered unto me by the servants of the physician is offensive to the smell and bitter to the taste, therefore I will not give thereof unto my neighbor lest he be offended by it and cut me off. And behold, by and by his neighbor died, and all his household also.
And it came to pass that the the man’s other neighbor fell sick and all his house. And the man said, lo, I will give unto my neighbor of the elixir which was prepared by the master physician, but behold, the smell thereof is offensive and the taste bitter, therefore will I dilute it first with pleasant liquors and honey, lest my neighbor be offended by it and cut me off. And he gave it unto his neighbor, and lo, having diluted the strength of the elixir, by and by his neighbor died cursing the physician, and all his household also.
And behold, the man had an other neighbor and he fell sick also and all his house. And the man gave unto his neighbor of the elixir which had been prepared by the physician. And lo, the neighbor refused it, saying, behold, the smell thereof is exceedingly offensive and the taste exceedingly bitter; I will not partake. And the neighbor was offended and cut off the man. And by and by his neighbor died cursing the physician, and all his household also.
And they lamented the dead with great sorrow.