There was once a farmer who desired to leave the home of his father and start his own farm. So he found a beautiful and green valley where he figured he could start his path. However, this young man did not have means of his own to purchase the needed land, tools, or seed. So he had to borrow in order to obtain what he needed.
His plan was simple, to clear a plot of ground, plant it, and reap a harvest. But as often happens in life, things don't always work so smoothly. Weather often does not cooperate, mistakes are made, opportunities are missed, and when the harvest was finally brought in, it was substantially less than the farmer anticipated. When he takes his crop it to market, he is scarcely able to bring in enough to cover his expenses.
He says "I will do better next year". The following spring his tries to better anticipate the weather based upon what he experienced previously. But again things did not cooperate so well. He planted earlier to anticipate the early rains, but his fields flooded and the first planting was lost. In order to obtain more seeds he had to borrow more money. Then his farm equipment began to break down and needed costly repairs. This required him to incur further debt.
Now he eventually began to learn from his mistakes, but found himself deeply in debt. He asked himself if there was any way he would ever be able to get himself out of the debt he found himself in.
As time continues on, the farmer continues to struggle along scarcely able to cover his basic expenses. The payments on his debts consume so much of his income. He falls into despair as a terrible storm comes along and destroys much of his crop. When harvest time comes he finds that he is not able to raise enough money at the market to be able to make his payments.
When he is unable to satisfy his lenders, they decide that they are going to take the property from him and force him to sign an agreement that he will work the land for them in order to pay the debt. The agreement amounts to little more than slavery, for once the debt is paid he will not own the land, and will continue to be in bondage.
Then along comes a man, a fellow farmer, who agrees to pay the farmers debts. This satisfies the lenders. But the young farmer is confused and still filled with despair. Now he is simply indebted to another lender. But he asks the stranger what his payment terms are and the stranger responds that he doesn't want money. Perplexed, the young farmer asks what the stranger does want, for surely some form of payment is required. The stranger then tells the young farmer, that the only payment that is required is to help others as he has been helped and to forgive the debts that others might owe him. Still confounded, the young farmer asks the stranger why he would do such a kind deed.
The stranger responds "When I was a young man, I like you purchased a farm and had to go into debt to do so. When my crops failed, it seemed as though I was destined to lose everything and be forever trapped in bondage. But the kindness of a stranger saved me from that fate. You see none of us possess the means of ourselves to succeed. We all need one another, and we have to put our cares aside and help one another and care for one another. And in the process, we gain something that is far more valuable. We obtain the character and attributes of pure love and we obtain true friendship."
The young farmer took the message to heart and from that day on helped all who were in need.
So it is with this life. We all incur a debt in this life. Every time we sin, which is to draw away from God and seek to gratify our selfish desires at the expense of others we incur a debt. How is this? Let me explain. If I lie to you, there is a damage done. Our friendship and trust is damaged, and I become indebted to you because I have wronged you and the eternal justice demands that that wrong be righted. If I steal, it's not just about the value of the stolen item. I have lost confidence amongst my fellow men, and that damage must be made right. Every sin has a natural consequence, and those consequences can reach far beyond what we ever expected, and whether we see the full results or not, our actions are the cause and we are responsible to make things right. And the weight of this seems overwhelming and unbearable.
This is where the atonement of our Savior comes in. He takes our debt upon Himself on the conditions that we will strive to become like Him and do as He has done. That we will start to learn to love as He loves. That we forgive as He forgives, and that we give of our means as He does. This is the only path that can make us like God to be an heir to His kingdom.
