There lived a poor old man and his wife. They hardly had any source of income. But, they were very kind and loving. They wanted Jesus to visit their home. So, one day they invited him to supper. He accepted their invitation. The poor old couple went to market to buy some vegetable. They cooked the best dishes they could afford and waited for him, but Jesus was late in coming. The couple kept the food hot and waited for him. Time went by but Jesus Christ did not come.
When they had waited for a long time, an old beggar came to the door and asked for something to eat. The old woman felt pity on him but the couple was so poor that they did not have enough food even for one extra person. "Well, I'll let him have my share," the old woman thought. She went ahead and fed the beggar. The beggar thanked her and left.
The couple kept on waiting for Jesus; they kept on looking out of the door. Then a poor little boy came along. He looked cold and hungry. The old couple felt pity for him, so they took him in. The old man said to his wife, "I'm not very hungry; he can have my supper."
So they fed the boy and let him sit and get warm. They asked the boy to stay there for the night. "No, I can't," said the boy. He thanked the old couple and went away. When the boy had left, the old man put on a coat to keep himself warm.
The old couple kept the fire going and Jesus's supper ready. At last, they saw him coming. They went to meet him at the door and said, "We waited so long! We were afraid you'd never come."
Jesus held their hands and said, "I've already been here twice."
हिंदी (Hindi Translation)
पाठ 12: ईसा मसीह रात्रिभोज पर
एक गरीब बूढ़ा आदमी और उसकी पत्नी रहते थे। उनके पास आय का कोई साधन नहीं के बराबर था। लेकिन, वे बहुत दयालु और प्यार करने वाले थे। वे चाहते थे कि ईसा मसीह उनके घर आएं। इसलिए, एक दिन उन्होंने उन्हें रात के खाने (रात्रिभोज) पर आमंत्रित किया। उन्होंने उनका निमंत्रण स्वीकार कर लिया। वह गरीब बूढ़ा जोड़ा कुछ सब्जियां खरीदने बाजार गया। उन्होंने अपनी क्षमता के अनुसार सबसे अच्छे पकवान बनाए और उनका इंतजार किया, लेकिन ईसा मसीह आने में देर कर रहे थे। उस जोड़े ने खाना गर्म रखा और उनका इंतजार किया। समय बीतता गया लेकिन ईसा मसीह नहीं आए।
जब वे बहुत देर तक इंतजार कर चुके थे, तो एक बूढ़ा भिखारी दरवाजे पर आया और खाने के लिए कुछ मांगा। बुढ़िया को उस पर दया आ गई, लेकिन वह जोड़ा इतना गरीब था कि उनके पास एक भी अतिरिक्त व्यक्ति के लिए पर्याप्त भोजन नहीं था। बुढ़िया ने सोचा, "खैर, मैं उसे अपना हिस्सा दे दूंगी।" वह आगे बढ़ी और भिखारी को खाना खिलाया। भिखारी ने उसे धन्यवाद दिया और चला गया।
वह जोड़ा ईसा मसीह का इंतजार करता रहा; वे लगातार दरवाजे से बाहर देखते रहे। तभी एक गरीब छोटा लड़का वहां आया। वह ठंड से कांप रहा था और भूखा लग रहा था। बूढ़े जोड़े को उस पर दया आ गई, इसलिए वे उसे अंदर ले आए। बूढ़े आदमी ने अपनी पत्नी से कहा, "मुझे ज्यादा भूख नहीं है; वह मेरा रात का खाना खा सकता है।"
इसलिए उन्होंने उस लड़के को खाना खिलाया और उसे बैठकर अपने शरीर को गर्म करने दिया। उन्होंने लड़के से रात वहीं रुकने के लिए कहा। लड़के ने कहा, "नहीं, मैं नहीं रह सकता।" उसने बूढ़े जोड़े को धन्यवाद दिया और चला गया। लड़के के जाने के बाद, बूढ़े आदमी ने खुद को गर्म रखने के लिए एक कोट पहन लिया।
बूढ़ा जोड़ा आग जलाए हुए था और ईसा मसीह का रात का खाना तैयार रखे हुए था। आखिरकार, उन्होंने उन्हें आते हुए देखा। वे दरवाजे पर उनका स्वागत करने गए और बोले, "हमने बहुत लंबा इंतजार किया! हमें डर था कि आप कभी नहीं आएंगे।"
ईसा मसीह ने उनके हाथ पकड़े और कहा, "मैं पहले ही यहाँ दो बार आ चुका हूँ।"
- To which part of the day was Jesus Christ invited to have meals?
Answer: At night (or Supper time) - Why did the old woman give her share of food to the beggar?
Answer: Out of pity (or Because the beggar was hungry) - How did the old man treat the boy?
Answer: Kindly and lovingly (or He shared his food with him) - Why did the old man agree to give the boy his share of food?
Answer: Because the boy was cold and hungry
(b) Jesus had his supper with the couple. — No
(c) The old beggar asked the couple for some clothes. — No (He asked for food)
(d) The couple could feed the entire town. — No
(e) The old man gave his share of food to the beggar. — No (The old woman gave her share to the beggar; the old man gave his share to the boy)
- Why didn't the little boy stay in the old couple's home?
Answer: The little boy did not stay because he was actually Jesus Christ himself who had come in disguise to test the old couple. - "I've already been here twice," Jesus replied. Name the two occasions when he came to their house and in what appearance did he come there.
Answer: Jesus visited their house on two occasions in different forms:- First occasion: He came in the appearance of a hungry, old beggar.
- Second occasion: He came in the appearance of a cold, poor little boy.
- Why do you think Jesus came to the house of the old couple in different appearances?
Answer: Jesus came in different appearances to test the old couple's kindness, generosity, and willingness to help those who are poor and needy.
- They invited Jesus Christ to supper.
- He was late in coming.
- They kept the fire going.
- An old beggar came to the door.
- A poor little boy came along.
- I've already been here twice.
- refuse (para 1) — invite
- very little (para 2) — enough
- warm (para 3) — cold
- take off (para 4) — put on
- fearless (para 5) — afraid
| Column A (Phrases) | Column B (Meanings) |
|---|---|
| afford to | to be able to spend |
| to come along | to arrive |
| let him have | allow him to take |
| feel pity | have mercy |
| to put on | to wear |
| to keep the fire going | to keep the food warm |