Eliezer "Elie" Wiesel is a
Romanian-born Jewish-American writer, professor, politician activist, Nobel
Laureate, and Holocaust survivor.
Auschwitz, Buchenwald, and Treblinka are just a few of
the names which evoke nightmares of the Holocaust. The suffering and death at
these and other concentration camps were greater than any before endured. The
Holocaust created a void in the souls of many of those who survived. Wiesel was
one of those people. Before the Holocaust he had been one of the most devout
Jewish children. Up until the end he waited for God to intervene in Biblical
fashion. When that intervention was not forthcoming, he began to doubt in God
and in His mercy.
Wiesel thought of God before and during the Holocaust
as both the protector and punisher of the Jewish people. Whatever had happened
before, he had faith that it was for their good, or one of God's greater plans.
Either way, he would accept God's will without questioning.
People around him took the evil as a punishment for
some unknown crime the Jews as a people had committed before God. Others who
did not feel guilty believed that God at least had a good reason for punishing
the Jews. They thought it must be a test.
It was not easy for Wiesel to doubt in God, or he would
not have held on to his faith with such tenacity. But sooner or later, the
seeming meaninglessness of the suffering his people endured had to burst into
the consciousness of his seemingly indomitable Jewish faith. All around Wiesel,
the number of faithful were dropping. As hard as they tried to hold on,
Wiesel's people were finding it hard to believe in God and what He was allowing
to happen.
Many died challenging God. Others, like Wiesel, were
given the burden of carrying the questions with them, never to be answered.
As Elijah had said: God's final victory lies in man's
inability to reject Him. You think you're fighting Him; but all you do is open
yourself to Him; you think you're crying out your rebellion, but all you're
doing is telling Him how much you need His support. This is the message that
Jesus conveyed in His wise reply to the tricky question.
The party of the Zealots preached that to pay the tax
was sinful, and all the Jews should refuse to pay taxes. The Herodians declared
that it was an obligation to pay. The Pharisees paid the tax quietly, while
discussing its lawfulness in their theology classes.
The questions that the students put to Jesus was a
cleverly set trap and seemed to leave Jesus with no escape. "Is it lawful
to pay taxes to Caesar?" If Jesus answered "yes", he would go
against the public feeling. If Jesus answered "No" he would go
against the authorities.
But Jesus uses the occasion to teach them a great
lesson- to be loyal to the state and to the religion.
It was naïve of man, to think that God would fall into a trap set by man. Many a time we too fall into this category – set trap for God. Use the Biblical quotes as we want to justify our words and actions.
What is pleasing in the site of God is only the attitude of Gratitude. God has done innumerable favours for the people of Israel. But what they gave in return was ingratitude. He called Abraham, He lead them out of Egypt and lead them to the land flowing with honey; He fed them; He sent his prophets to call them back. Finally he sent his own son; but man had only ingratitude in return.
By means of a
series of parables, Jesus taught his listeners that God had been generous with
men; so, man has to appreciate the gifts of God.
One young
academically excellent person went to apply for a managerial position in a big
company. He passed the first interview. The director did the last interview and
made the decision. The director discovered from the CV that the youth's
academic achievements were excellent all the way, from the secondary school
until the postgraduate research, never had a year when he did not score.
The director asked, "Did you obtain any scholarships in school?"
The youth answered "None". The
director asked, "Was it your father who paid for your school fees?"
The youth answered, "My father passed away when I was one year old, it was
my mother who paid for my school fees."
The director asked, "Where did your mother work?"
The youth answered, "My mother worked as
clothes cleaner.”
The director requested the youth to show his
hands.
The youth showed a pair of hands that were
smooth and perfect.
The director asked, "Have you ever helped your mother wash the clothes
before?"
The youth answered, "Never, my mother
always wanted me to study and read more books." "Furthermore, my
mother can wash clothes faster than me."
The director said, "I have a request. When you go back today, go and clean
your mother's hands, and then see me tomorrow morning."
The youth felt that his chance of landing the job was high. When he went back,
he happily requested his mother to let him clean her hands.
His mother felt strange but happy. With mixed feelings, she showed her hands to
the kid.
The youth cleaned his mother's hands slowly. His tear fell as he did that. It
was the first time he noticed that his mother's hands were so wrinkled, and
there were so many bruises on her hands. Some bruises were so painful that his
mother shivered when they were cleaned with water.
This was the first time the youth realized that it was this pair of hands that
washed the clothes everyday to enable him to pay the school fee. The bruises on
his mother's hands were the price that the mother had to pay for his
graduation, academic excellence and his future.
After finishing the cleaning of his mother hands, the youth quietly washed all
the remaining clothes for his mother.
That night, mother and son talked for a very
long time.
Next morning, the youth went to the
director's office.
The Director noticed the tears in the youth's
eyes and asked:
"Can you tell me what you learnt from
what you did yesterday in your house?"
The youth answered, "I cleaned my mother's hand, and also finished
cleaning all the remaining clothes'
The Director asked, "What were your
feelings?"
The youth said, "Number 1, I know now
what appreciation is. Without my Mother, there would not be the successful me
today."
"Number 2, by working together and
helping my mother, I now realize how difficult and tough it is to get something
done."
"Number 3, I have come to appreciate the
importance and value of family relationship."
The director said, "This is what I am looking for in a person who is to be
my Manager."
Instead of setting
traps for God, we should be able to accept the challenges we face, and remain
grateful to God for all his blessings Then Jesus will be able to tell looking
at us that "This is what I am looking for in a person who is to be my
disciple.
Satish