THE PURPLE FALL

"There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day."  (Luke 16: 19)

    Purple is the color denoting royalty, usually reserved for kings and queens and princes, but the Roman Caesars also preferred purple. 
    Royal families are rich in wealth and all of their needs are met within themselves.  All they expect from others is their dutiful service as well as their sacrifice of money.
    Rich and powerful politicians also prefer purple along with the rich and powerful leaders of religions.  All they expect from others is their dutiful service and their sacrifice of money.
    They like having men servants and men servants to wash their laundry, mow the grass and trim the hedge, cook and serve the meals, shine their shoes and clean the golf clubs, and light the Tiki lamps around the pools. 
    They like sitting at the heads of long and eloquent tables, sipping drinks in tall glasses, and to have all the eyes in the room focused on them.
   They like to zoom around the world in jumbo jets, to be seen in import limousines, and protected by armed guards in bullet-proof vests, and for all to arise when they arrive at the scene.
   They like to sit on the front rows and be recognized from stages and pulpits, to which they pleasingly nod their heads.
    But purple is also the color of the prideful, the great pretenders of this world, who have convinced themselves that they are children of royalty---while in their own conceited stupors they deceive others to believe that they really are gods in their own heads.  For they, too, are rich and powerful because of all the money they have enticed others to render unto them, thereby receiving all the benefits equal to the kings and queens and princes:  for they dine sumptuously at each others' tables.
   "Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews?  for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
   "And when they were come into the house, they found the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him:  and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts:  gold, and frankincense, and myrrh."  (Matthew 2: 1-2, 11)
   Wise men still seek Him, and they lay their treasures at Jesus' feet:  but the purple fall.