Humpty Dumpty Had a Great Fall

And all the king’s horses and all the king’s men couldn’t put Humpty together again.

Why was Humpty Dumpty on the wall? How did he get up there? What made him fall? Was he drunk? Was he old and disoriented? Or was he just plain stupid?

I don’t really care; it’s just a silly riddle. But I know people who are like Humpty Dumpty. They risk everything to climb the wall to success, working day and night by the sweat of their brow, making a fortune, and hoarding it all for themselves. Like a lover, they squeeze it to their breast, smother their minds with it, and would rather die than live without it. They are so consumed by greed that they don’t even realize they have fallen off the wall.

Jesus told a parable in Luke 12:16 about a rich man who had such an abundant harvest that he tore down his small barns and built larger ones. And there he hoarded his goods and said to himself, “I have plenty for years to come. I will sit back, eat, drink, and be merry.”

In today’s language, he propped up his feet, turned on YouTube, and said to himself, “I am filthy rich! And I ain’t sharing with nobody, nowhere, no time. It’s mine. All mine! And don’t even think of stealing it. I will hunt you down. I will find you. And I will kill you!

And Jesus said, “You fool! This very night, your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?

Although the times have changed, people’s attitudes are no different today than they were two thousand years ago. We all have selfishness and greed running through our veins, some more than others. Not just with our money, but with ourselves, our time, and our priorities. We are so consumed with ourselves that we fail to see or even care about the needs of others.

There are many Humpty Dumpties in the world, sitting on the wall of superiority, thinking they’re living the good life with all their riches and fame. That, like the rich man in the parable, they believe they are invincible to tragedy and loss, as if their riches can buy eternal bliss. But when they fall off the wall and are broken beyond repair, there is a King who can put them together again. His name is Jesus, the Great Physician. The Almighty King of Kings.

But what if they want nothing to do with Jesus? What if they think they’re smart enough to fix themselves? What if they don’t even know they’ve fallen off the wall and keep hobbling along as if nothing is wrong? What if they’re just too blind and stubborn to ask for his help? What if they don’t even believe in Jesus and his healing, saving grace?

Then, all the king’s horses and all the king’s men can’t put them together again. They will never be happy, never be satisfied, never experience an abundant, fulfilling life. Like Humpty Dumpty, they will be nothing more than a riddle of their own folly, forever lost in their own pride and foolishness.