“‘What should we do then?’ The crowd asked. John answered, ‘The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same.'” – Luke 3:10-11

In 1939 when the Nazis invaded Poland, Wladyslaw Szpilman was a celebrated pianist and a composer of both classical and popular music performing on Warsaw radio. During the next six years he was unable to perform and the Oscar winning film “The Pianist” describes Wladyslaw time during the war.

At first he lived in the Warsaw ghetto, and as he was about to be shipped off to a concentration camp, one of his guards recognized him and helped him escape certain death. For the remaining part of the war, he hid among the ruins of Warsaw.

One day, he happened across an abandoned home where there was a piano. A German Officer, Wilm Hosenfeld, spotted Wlayslaw and asked him what he did for a living. Wladyslaw replied he was a pianist and then the starved pianist played Chopin’s C Sharp minor Nocturne on the out-of-tune piano.

For the next few months, Wilm brought smuggled food to the emaciated musician. Then at their last meeting before the Russians entered Warsaw, Welm handed the pianist two large packages of food. “I don’t know how to thank you,” said Szpilman.

“Thank God, not me. He wants us to survive. That’s what we have to believe” said Welm. He then looked at Wladyslaw, who was wearing rags for clothing. “Here, take this,” he says, and offered his expensive military dress coat to Wladyslaw.

“No, don’t you need it?” Replied Wladyslaw.

“I’ve got another, a warmer one,” responds Welm. Wladyslaw survived the war and lived until July 6, 2000.

Living a righteous life starts with doing what is right. Today in prayer, ask the Lord to give you a sensitive heart to those in need and then fill that need with abundance that Christ has given to you.

“The mystery of the gospel is this – that in losing our life, in freely sharing, even giving it away, we gain life! It’s a great and wonderful mystery – that our greatest fulfillment lies not in filling ourselves up, but in giving ourselves away! That through sharing, especially with those in need, we become beautiful people – beautiful because we make room for Christ, who is re-born in us and through us into this selfish and dying world.” – Jacob Golden, Jr.

God’s Word: “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.” – Romans 13:8-10

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2003, Devotional E-Mail DEVOTIONS IN LUKE pkennedy@devotional.com