Guest post by Raymond Dickey.

There was a certain rich man who had a doctor, and an accusation was brought to him that this doctor was making him look bad. So he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of my physical, for you can no longer be my doctor.’

Then the doctor said within himself, ‘What shall I do? For my master is taking the position away from me. I cannot diagnose; I am ashamed to plug pharmaceuticals. I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of medicine, they may receive me into their party.’

So he reviewed every one of his master’s medical measurements, and said to the first, ‘How much does master weigh?’ And he saw, ‘Over 300 pounds.’ So he said to himself, ‘Take the report, and sit down quickly and write 239.’ Then he reviewed another, ‘And how much blood pressure?’ And he saw, ‘Dangerously high.’ And he said to himself, ‘Take the blood pressure, and write normal.’ And he considers the master’s cognitive function, but decided not to even go there.

So the master commended the incompetent doctor because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this party are more shrewd in their fabrication than the sons of the other party, yea, or the daughters thereof.