Heaven and Hell
A man spoke with the Lord about Heaven and Hell.
"I will show you Hell," said the Lord.
And they went into a room which had a large pot of stew in the middle. The smell was delicious and around the pot sat people who were famished and desperate.
All were holding spoons with very long handless which reached to the pot, but because the handles of the spoons were longer than their arms, it was impossible to get the stew into their mouths. Their suffering was terrible.
"Now I will show you Heaven," said the Lord, and they went into an identical room. There was a similar pot of stew and the people had the same identical spoons, but they were well nourished, talking and happy.
At first the man did not understand.
"It is simple," said the Lord. "You see, they have learned to feed each other."
Author unknown
Categories: daily-thoughts heaven hell difference care
"I will show you Hell," said the Lord.
And they went into a room which had a large pot of stew in the middle. The smell was delicious and around the pot sat people who were famished and desperate.
All were holding spoons with very long handless which reached to the pot, but because the handles of the spoons were longer than their arms, it was impossible to get the stew into their mouths. Their suffering was terrible.
"Now I will show you Heaven," said the Lord, and they went into an identical room. There was a similar pot of stew and the people had the same identical spoons, but they were well nourished, talking and happy.
At first the man did not understand.
"It is simple," said the Lord. "You see, they have learned to feed each other."
Author unknown
 | Captured by Grace |
Categories: daily-thoughts heaven hell difference care
posted by Danny Sutanto @ 7:27 PM
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3 Comments:
At 7/22/2006 9:43 PM,
prying1 said…
Good story - Good lesson - I noticed too that those in Hell were not smart enough to hold the spoon closer to the bowl...
At 7/22/2006 9:45 PM,
prying1 said…
I should clarify that. Hold the spoon 'handle' closer to the spoon 'bowl'.
At 7/23/2006 10:56 AM,
Danny Sutanto said…
Thank you for your comment and your keen observation.
There are many versions of this story. The following version may overcome the problem you have:
“I once ascended to the firmaments. I first went to see Hell and the sight was horrifying. Row after row of tables were laden with platters of sumptuous food, yet the people seated around the tables were pale and emaciated, moaning in hunger. As I came closer, I understood their predicament. Every person held a full spoon, but both arms were splinted with wooden slats so he could not bend either elbow to bring the food to his mouth. It broke my heart to hear the tortured groans of these poor people as they held their food so near but could not consume it.
Next I went to visit Heaven. I was surprised to see the same setting I had witnessed in Hell – row after row of long tables laden with food. But in contrast to Hell, the people here in Heaven were sitting contentedly talking with each other, obviously sated from their sumptuous meal. As I came closer, I was amazed to discover that here, too, each person had his arms splinted on wooden slats that prevented him from bending his elbows. How, then, did they manage to eat?
As I watched, a man picked up his spoon and dug it into the dish before him. Then he stretched across the table and fed the person across from him! The recipient of this kindness thanked him and returned the favor by leaning across the table to feed his benefactor.
I suddenly understood. Heaven and Hell offer the same circumstances and conditions. The critical difference is in the way the people treat each other.
I ran back to Hell to share this solution with the poor souls trapped there. I whispered in the ear of one starving man, ‘You do not have to go hungry. Use your spoon to feed your neighbor, and he will surely return the favor and feed you.’
‘You expect me to feed the detestable man sitting across the table?’ said the man angrily. ‘I would rather starve than give him the pleasure of eating!’
I then understood God’s wisdom in choosing who is worthy to go to Heaven and who deserves to go to Hell.”
The Difference Between Heaven and Hell is Not the Setting
– It’s in the Way People Treat Each Other
From: http://www.refresher.com/!mskparable.html
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