``A poor man, a rich man, and a rake died on the same day and appeared before God's tribunal at the same hour. None of them had ever studied the Law. God frowned and asked the poor man, "Why didn't you study the Law while you were alive?"

``"Lord," he answered, "I was poor and hungry. I slaved day and night to feed my wife and children. I didn't have time."

``"Were you poorer than my faithful servant Hillel?" God asked angrily. "He had no money to pay to enter the synagogue, and hear the Law being explained, so he climbed onto the roof, stretched himself out, and listened through the skylight. But it snowed and he was so absorbed in what he heard that he did not realize it. In the morning when the rabbi entered the synagogue he say that it was dark. Raising his eyes, he discovered a man's body over the skylight. He mounted to the roof, dug away the snow and exhumed Hillel. He took him in his arms, carried him down, lighted a fire and brought him back to life. Then he gave him permission to enter and listen after that without paying, and Hillel became the famous rabbi whom the whole world has heard of.... What do you have to say to that?"

``"Nothing, Lord," murmured the poor man, and he began to weep.

``God turned to the rich man. "And you, why didn't you study the Law while you were alive?"

``"I was too rich. I had many orchards, many slaves, many cares. How could I manage?"

``"Were you richer," God snapped, "than harsom's son EEleazar, who inherited a thousand villages and a thousand ships? but he abandoned them all when he learned the whereabouts of a sage who was explaining the Law. What do you have to say for yourself?"

``"Nothing, Lord," the rich man murmured in his turn, and he too began to weep.

``God then turned to the rake. "And you, my beauty, why didn't you study the Law?"

``"I was exceedingly handsome and many women threw themselves at me. With all the amusement I had, where could I find time to look at the Law?"

``"Were you handsomer than Joseph, who was loved by the wife of Putiphar? He was so beautiful that he said unto the sun, `Shine, sun, so that I may shine.' When he unfolded the Law the letters opened up like doors and the meaning came out dressed in light and flames. What do you have to say?"

``"Nothing, Lord," murmured the rake, and he too began to weep.

``God clapped his hands and called Hillel, Eleazar and Joseph out from Paradise. When they had come, he said, "Judge these men who because of poverty, wealth, and beauty did not study the Law. Speak, Hillel. Judge the poor one!"

``"Lord," answered Hillel, "how can I condemn him? I know what poverty means, I know what hunger means. He should be pardoned!"

``"And you, Eleazar?" said God. "There is the rich one. I hand him over to you!"

``"Lord," replied Eleazar, "how can I condemn him? I know what it is to be rich - death! He should be pardoned!"

``"And you, Joseph? It's your turn. There is the handsome one!"

``"Lord, how can I condemn him? I know what a struggle it is, what a terrible martyrdom, to conquer the body's loveliness. He should be pardoned."''

Jesus paused, smiled, and looked at Nathanael. But the cobbler felt uneasy.

"Well, what did God do next?" he asked.

"Just what you would have done," Jesus answered with a laugh.

- Nikos Kazantzakis, _The Last Temptation of Christ_