Focusing on People, by a friend Lee Vail
Written by joannabrynn
Posted on Wednesday, April 2, 2008 at 10:52 AM.
FOCUSING ON PEOPLE
SCRIPTURE READING:
Luke 24:30-32
âWHEN HE WAS AT THE TABLE WITH THEM, HE TOOK BREAD, GAVE THANKS, BROKE IT AND BEGAN TO GIVE IT TO THEM. THEN THEIR EYES WERE OPENED AND THEY RECOGNIZED HIM, AND HE DISAPPEARED FROM THEIR SIGHT. THEY ASKED EACH OTHER, âWERE NOT OUR HEARTS BURNING WITHIN US WHILE HE TALKED WITH US ON THE ROAD AND OPENED THE SCRIPTURES TO US?ââ
One day a young fugitive, trying to hide himself from the enemy, entered a small village. The people were kind to him and offered him a place to stay. But when the soldiers who sought the fugitive asked where he was hiding, everyone became very fearful. The soldiers threatened to burn the village and kill every person in it unless the young man was handed over to them before dawn. The people went to the Rabbi and asked him what to do. Torn between handling over the boy to the enemy and having his people killed, the Rabbi withdrew to his room and read his Bible, hoping to find an answer before dawn. In the early morning, his eyes fell on these words: âIt is better that one man dies than that the whole people be lost.â
Then the Rabbi closed the Bible, called the soldiers, and told them where the boy was hidden. And after the soldiers led the fugitive away to be killed, there was a feast in the village because the Rabbi had saved the lives of the people. But the Rabbi did not celebrate. Overcome with a deep sadness, he remained in his room. That night an angel came to him and asked, âWhat have you done?â He said: âI handed over the fugitive to the enemy.â Then the angel said: âBut donât you know that you have handed over the Messiah?â âHow could I know?â the Rabbi replied anxiously. Then the angel said: âIf, instead of reading your Bible, you had visited this young man just once and looked into his eyes, you would have known.â
Pp 26-27, SPIRITUAL DIRECTION, by Henri Nouwen
