Pressure from the People.

Topics: Pressure

One of my favorite stories is The Emperor's New Clothes. It is the tale
about an Emperor who was swindled by a supposed tailor. The man claims to
sew a new, special suit for the Emperor. It is special because only those
who are wise will see the clothes, while those who are foolish will find
them invisible. Not wanting to be labeled a fool, the Emperor pretends he
can see the suit, pretends to put it on, and then proceeds to walk around
the castle in his underwear. Not wanting to be considered fools, all his
advisors and servants pretend to be able to see the clothes as well and
comment on how beautiful they are. As the Emperor leads a parade through the
city, his loyal subjects "ah" and "oh" over clothing they cannot see.
Everyone is lying, because they are afraid to tell the truth. If they admit
they see the Emperor in his underwear, they will certainly be ridiculed by
all their neighbors. But, finally, one young boy exposes the deception. He
blurts out that the Emperor is not wearing any clothes and his words
encourage others to speak the truth as well.

Dan Erickson, Sermon on Matthew 14:1-12 "THE PRICE OF TRUTH," December 5,
1999