MORAL STORIES

A MISERABLE MISER

A miser amassed a lot of jewellery. He refused to spend even for the basic needs of his family. He was afraid to keep the ornaments in his house. He dug a pit near a tall tree, placed the ornaments in the pit and covered it with soil. Every night after everyone slept, he would silently reach the spot, dig out his treasure and enjoy fondling it.

One day, a very poor man, finding no means to live, decided to commit suicide. He carried a rope with him and reached the spot where the treasure was concealed, with the intention of hanging himself from the tree nearby. He made a noose in the rope and got ready to hang himself from the tree. Suddenly he felt the softness of the fresh soil under his feet. Surprised, he dug out the mud and was delighted to find the treasure. Abandoning the rope there, he happily walked away with the treasure.

That night, as usual, the miser reached the place and searched for his treasure. Finding that it was lost, he was terribly shocked. With a broken heart he turned around and saw the rope left by the poor man. Using that rope, he hanged himself from the tree and ended his life; unable to use the wealth he had amassed.

Lord Jesus taught us the correct attitude to wealth during his meeting with the rich, young man who was reluctant to sacrifice his wealth to follow Jesus. We find it in Matthew19: 16-30, Mark 10: 17-31 and Luke-18: 18-30. Let us follow the Christian principles of love without condition, service without compulsion, sacrifice without calculation and suffering without complaint. Like the early Christians we must be DARING, CARING and SHARING – daring to faithfully follow the teachings of Jesus, caring for the poor and ready to share our resources with the needy.

Dr. Resmy Susan Babu, M.D, Senior Resident in Medicine, Govt.Medical College, Kottayam, Kerala & Dr. Babu Philip, Professor, Cochin University of Science & Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi-682016, Kerala, India.
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