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 HEN JESUS WAS a little over six years old, Salome had a dead tree felled and then had it split and cut up by her men-servants for firewood.
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On this occasion a young man-servant who was quite proud of his capacity to work said to his three fellow-servants,
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'Just leave this work of splitting to me, and I will be done with the whole tree as quickly as the three of you together!'
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And the other servants gladly left this honor to him.
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He then took his sharp axe and chopped away very industriously.
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But in his zeal he missed a swing and instead of the wood struck his foot and split it from toe to heel.
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At this he sank to the ground and screamed for help, and everyone rushed over to him, but no one had anything with which to bandage his foot.
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And thus the young man soon lost all of his blood and thereupon died.
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In the meantime Joseph's house also heard the shouting and lament at the near-by house of Salome.
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And Jesus ran over quickly and pushed through the surrounding crowd to the already dead servant.
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Upon reaching the dead man, He quickly seized his split foot, pressed it firmly together and healed it in an instant.
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When the foot was healed in this manner, He seized the servant's hand and said,
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'Listen, you vain young man! I say to you: Arise and continue to split your wood!
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But from now on give up your vanity and never desire to labor beyond your strength,
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and you will easily guard yourself from similar accidents in the future;
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for your fellow-servants also have the strength for their work from God, and you shall not put them to shame, anytime or anywhere.
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'Now if one of your fellow servants is intentionally lazy and idle, the Lord will be sure to find him;
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but it shall never be up to you to set yourself up as his judge by vain and overdone industry.'
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Here the young servant arose once more in full strength and resumed splitting wood.
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Thereupon all those present fell down on their knees before the Boy Jesus and said,
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'Praise and honor to the power of God in You; for the Lord has already bestowed the fullness of divine power upon You at an early age!'
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And Jesus quickly returned to His home, for he did not want the praise of men.
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