The will

   Charity begins at home – or does it? Let me tell you why I think it begins with God.

   It had taken a long time to complete the first reading of the will. The deceased had been a very wealthy lady with much property and many possessions. There were a large number of bequests and a great many beneficiaries, all of whom were listening attentively in the conference room of a large firm of attorneys.

   As the senior partner neared the end of his long recitation, it was probably true to say the will contained few surprises – until the very last page. Here the senior partner stood up and invited everyone to do likewise. He explained these were his instructions, the better to accentuate the gravity of what he now had to say.

   A condition was attached to every bequest the deceased had made. It was that all beneficiaries, and everyone else named in the will as receiving nothing, thus preventing them from contesting the will later, take home the package they would be handed on leaving. The package, which would bear their name and for which they would be asked to sign, was not to be opened until the recipient had intentionally set aside time to deal with it. Everyone was then asked to return to the same conference room at the same time ninety days from that day. No questions would be entertained on the subject of the package, or anything pertaining to it. The senior partner concluded his address with the words, “Now, all glory be to God who keeps you from stumbling, and who will bring you in all innocence and great joy into His glorious presence”.

   The prevailing mood was one of disappointment that matters had not been concluded that day, there was an assignment to complete, and at least one more meeting to attend. This was nothing compared to the disappointment most beneficiaries were to experience later.

   My recollection was that I entertained no such disappointment. My bequest was very small, consistent with my hardly having known the deceased at all: indeed I recall being surprised I had even been invited to attend the reading of the will in the first place. Also, I was most intrigued to find out what the package contained and what I would be required to do in respect of it.

   That evening I opened the package and was surprised to see it contained a beautiful copy of the Holy Bible. A small card was enclosed with my name on it above the following words:

   ‘God knows all your needs in advance if you will but make Him the center of your world. St. Matthew 6:33. You have until…’ – and here a date was inserted ninety days hence.

   Ninety days in which to make God the center of my world? I earnestly hoped I had long since done that. After all, God has told us Himself what is good and what He wants us to do, namely, what is right; to be merciful; to walk with Him in all humility; love our neighbors as ourselves; live quietly, minding our own business, and working with our hands that we might deserve the pay we receive. The deceased had told me herself how much those words meant to her when we worked together in a soup kitchen one Christmas Day. I remember we had a most interesting conversation about which charities those of the household of faith should support.

   I also knew from the Word of God that we are to refrain from sinful living; to exercise self-control, and live with devotion to our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Furthermore, if we keep God’s commandments, for example, to love one another, and do those things that please Him, we will receive whatever we ask of Him. How often had I been so supremely blessed in precisely this way, additionally in remembering that God is not slow in keeping His promise to return: He’s just giving us all more time in which to repent.

   As for God knowing all my needs in advance every day, the Bible teaches us not to worry about tomorrow for that day will have worries of its own, just as today will. Indeed, Jesus himself told His disciples not to worry about having enough food, drink or clothing because your Father in heaven knows all your needs already and He will provide for you every day if you will entrust your life to Him, live for Him and make Him the center of your world.

   I know I can never repay God for all He does for me, just as I know I can never be worthy of His infinite mercy and lovingkindness towards me. But I badly wanted to be a doer, not just a hearer of His word. This in turn reminded me of another biblical passage, the story of the young man who had asked Jesus what good things must he do to have eternal life. Jesus told him to keep God’s commandments, specifically, do not murder, commit adultery, steal, or give false testimony, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself. The young man replied that he had done all these things since he was young. He asked what else he needed to do. Jesus told him that, if he wished to be perfect, he must go and sell all he possessed and give the money to the poor; then the young man would have treasures in heaven. After that, he would need to come and follow Jesus. But when the young man heard these words, he went away sorrowing because he had possessions in abundance.

   Elsewhere the Bible tells us that rich people should not trust in their money but in the living God who gives us all we need from His own riches. People of wealth should use their money to do good, giving generously to those in need.

   I now knew exactly what I wanted to do with my bequest. There is a beautiful passage in the Bible that is often read at weddings reminding us that three things will endure: faith, hope and charity, of which the greatest is charity. If I was to benefit under the deceased’s will, I would donate my bequest in full to charity: then could I truly feel I had made God the center of my world.

   The conference room where the will had first been read had been completely transformed into a courtroom with a sitting judge of the Supreme Court, in full regalia, presiding. He was flanked by the senior partner of the law firm on one side and the president of an internationally known private detective agency on the other.

   Precisely on time and without preamble, the judge began a second reading of the will. At the end of each bequest, first the senior partner and then the private detective would hand the judge a sheet of paper. The judge would immediately confirm, amend or deny the bequest before moving on at once to the next.

   The great majority of bequests were reduced, some very substantially, because the beneficiaries had not kept the commandments of God, specifically, they had not loved God with all their heart, with all their soul and with all their might; had not loved their neighbor as themselves; had worshipped other Gods (usually riches and pride) in preference to the Lord, or had made an idol (usually ostentatious possessions) which they served instead. Other judgments included taking the name of the Lord in vain, and failing to keep Sunday as a holy day.

   The severest judgments were reserved for, and the bequests wholly denied to, a son who did not honor his father and mother; a cousin who had killed; a son-in-law who had committed adultery; a nephew who stole; an aunt who bore false witness against her neighbor, and the previously mentioned son-in-law who coveted his neighbor’s wife.

   The residue of the deceased’s estate, which by this time was very substantial, was left to ‘such charities as Leonard shall direct’. This was the only time my name was mentioned.

   Once again, we were invited to collect and sign for a package on our way out. It proved to be a beautifully engraved but empty box. Inside was a card with my name on it above the following words:

   ‘For God will judge everyone’s work, good and bad, including every thing done in secret. Ecclesiastes 12:14. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit’.

   Although we would now never know for sure, I surmised the deceased knew only too well how very far from making God the center of our world were so many of us beneficiaries. In a true spirit of forgiveness, she had offered us the opportunity of redemption, had given us a most realistic foretaste of judgment day, and left us with a permanent reminder of how empty life is without Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Conversely, how full life is with Him, for I found quickly enough that the otherwise empty box was actually intended to hold the copy of the Holy Bible we had received earlier.

   When I went to the Lord in prayer that night, I thanked Him most earnestly for the deceased’s invitation to make God the center of my world. I also thanked Him with equal fervor for helping me to do so, especially as I dared to think that is where He had been all along.

   Can the same be said of you?

For further reading: Jude 24; Matthew 6:33; Micah 6:8; Galatians 5:14; 1 Thessalonians 4:11; 1 Timothy 5:18; Titus 2:12-13; 2 John 5; 1 John 3:22; 2 Peter 3:9; Matthew 6:34, 31-33; James 1:22; Matthew 19:16-22; 1 Timothy 6:17-18; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13; Exodus 20:3-17; Ecclesiastes 12:14; Philemon 25