«Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, ‘Sit here while I pray’ »
(Mark 14:32).
JANUSZ KORCZAK was a Polish physician and educator who founded an orphanage for Jewish children and directed it for almost 30 years in Warsaw. When the Germans occupied Poland and, between October and November 1940, established the Warsaw Ghetto, Korczak devoted himself to the task of rescuing children. For about two years, he took care of them and did his best to prevent them from being sent to the death camps.
Nevertheless, his efforts did not succeed. On the morning of August 5 or 6, 1942, SS officers informed Korczak that the children would be taken to Treblinka, the dreaded death camp, but told him that he was not included in the deportation order. Korczak turned down the offer to save his life. In Treblinka, he lived with them in a barracks until the order was given for them to be taken to «the showers»—the gas chamber. It is said that at the entrance to the door facing the gas chamber, Korczak received another offer to save his life. Again, he turned it down.
Those who visit Yad Vashem today—the museum in Jerusalem that honors the victims of the Holocaust—will see a large bronze sculpture by the sculptor Boris Saktsier. Its name: «Korczak and the Ghetto’s Children. » Among a group of children stands out the compassionate face of the man who had lived for them and who, when he could save himself, preferred to die with them.
Not very different to what happened in Gethsemane, right?
In Gethsemane, James R. Edwards wrote, a face stands out: that of Christ, but not surrounded by children, but by those who crucified Him, by the disciples, and by the multitude. . . However, something interesting happens when we concentrate our attention on all those faces. «If we stop to look at them,» Edwards wrote, «we will see that we too are there. »
Yes, out of love for His accusers and out of love for all the children of fallen humanity—including you and me—the Son of God would drink the bitter cup. «Christ might even now refuse to drink the cup apportioned to guilty man. . . . He might say, Let the transgressor receive the penalty of his sin, and I will go back to My Father.»—The Desire of Ages, ch. 74, p. 690. However—praise be to God!— that was not what He did. Instead, He said, «O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done» (Matthew 26:42).
The One who had left heaven because of love for us decided to die for us.
Thank You, dear Jesus, because You decided to drink the cup of pain and suffering. And all because of Your love for me! I will praise and glorify Your holy name through the eternal ages.
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Taken from: Devotional Readings for Adults 2022
“GREAT IS OUR GOD!”
From: FERNANDO ZABALA
Collaborators: Xiomara Perdomo & Angelica Cuate
