The Humble Heir

Question: A king named Bryce ruled a kingdom where it was tradition for the king or queen to choose their heir, rather than automatically passing the throne to the eldest child. Bryce had four children—two sons and two daughters. When the time came for him to decide, he summoned them to his throne and said, “It is now time for me to choose which of you will be the heir. Each of you will tell me why you deserve to inherit the throne.” First, his oldest child, Edward, stepped forward and said, “I deserve to be the heir because I am the oldest son. Traditionally, the eldest son is chosen as the heir.” The second child, Makenzie, said, “I deserve to be heir because I am your most beautiful child. The kingdom deserves a beautiful queen.” The third child, Darnell, said, “I deserve to be heir because I am the wisest. The kingdom deserves a wise king.” Finally, the youngest child, Lily, stepped forward. She said, “Father, I don’t believe I deserve to be the heir. I have made mistakes and struggled to live up to the honor of our family name. But I have learned from my errors, and I strive each day to become a better person. I am willing to serve, even if I am not worthy of leading.” The king listened carefully to each child’s response. In the end, he chose Lily to be the heir to the throne. But why?