(Author’s note: This is the first post of a multi-part series that begins in 1987. It is an unusual way to start off. However, this topic needed to be covered at some point, and I did not want to stick it in the middle, disrupting the narrative. So, please put up with this one, which seemingly has no point. I promise you - we are about to go on a most fascinating journey)
“Give, and it will be given
to you”
This is a universal truth; in that,
it is espoused by most major religions. The idea is that if we do good, help
others, or give assistance, that the cosmos will ultimately pay us back in
kind.
It is this concept that “life
is fair” that somehow naturally lives deep within us. And even though we know
life is not fair, sometimes cruelly unfair, it still makes us feel better if we
think things will even out in the end, and we will be rewarded for every good
deed that we do.
However, religion introduces
rules for giving because that’s what religion does. There are rules for
everything else, so it stands to reason there would be rules on how we are
supposed to give away our money.
When THE MAN walked this
earth, the rich and pious had written many rules about how a “holy” person
should give his resources. Of course, the rules favored the rich, like our tax
laws today, because the rich wrote the rules.
The rich used these rules to
abuse the poor people psychologically and spiritually. The poor felt ashamed
and frustrated because they could not meet the stringent requirements. Many of
them may have stopped giving all together because it was too demanding.
However, it can be assumed the laws enabled the rich to avoid paying “their
fair share” and providing some loopholes.
And to set things right, THE
MAN proclaims this:
Give, and it will
be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over,
will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get
back.
There’s a lot in that short
statement. So, let’s break it down.
Give
Into this ugly mess, THE MAN
brings forth wisdom to set things right. Strangely, he does not go into a
complicated discussion about why all the invented rules are wrong. Nor does he
rebuke the common people either. He does not launch into a lengthy sermon on
the proper attitude towards giving – the people already know that and are well
aware they are not following the guidelines.
No, THE MAN utters a simple
one-word command – GIVE. He doesn’t say when to give, how much to give, who to
give to – just GIVE. So, forget the rules, forget the complications, forget the
excuses – just GIVE.
And It
Will Be Given To You
And there it is …. Life is fair,
and if you give to others, someday the cosmos will pay back the favor, and you
will get a reward you for your generosity. Even Steven! Karma! Payback!
Yes, here THE MAN is on the
same wavelength as many great philosophers and prophets. However, there is one
huge difference. It’s right there in those seven words. You read right over it,
and we’ll come back to it in a moment.
If THE MAN had stopped right
there, the statement is universally accepted and consistent with natural
beliefs, but He did not. He kicked it up a notch.
Good measure,
pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into
your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you
get back.
In those times when you bought grain, most vendors would pour the grain until it filled your vessel and send you on your way. But the sellers who provided the most value would pour the grain in the vessel, press it down, then shake it together to condense it, and then repeat the process until the grain was tightly packed and you received the maximum amount.
So what THE MAN is saying is that
you will get more than a fair return on your giving. And then He lifts the bar.
He pumps it up. He raises the roof.
After your vessel contains the
maximum payback, more grain is going to be poured on top. So much, that you
can’t contain it - so much that it overflows and spills over into your lap.
What THE MAN is proposing:
Give, and you will receive back more than you gave. So much more, it will
overflow.
And this happens not by luck,
or chance, or karma, etc. It is deliberate. Because the other difference in THE
MAN’s statement alluded to previously is “ and it will be GIVEN to
you. If it is given, then there must be a giver. THE MAN is saying THE CREATOR
will purposely and generously give back to you.
This is far beyond the
teaching of other religions and philosophers. THE MAN has truly raised the bar.
It’s what separates the God from the gods.
Of course, on the surface, it
appears the message is that if you want to get rich, just give stuff away to
people. Or maybe, just give me your money, and you’ll get more money
back – a spiritual Ponzi scheme, as it were. And many religious hucksters on
television have perverted this teaching to become rich over the years.
But that is not what THE MAN
is laying down. This proclamation must be evaluated in the context of all the
teaching about the attitude of giving and the spiritual aspects involved. The
people hearing this knew they were falling short. And THE MAN talked more about
money than you would expect when He was here.
But the statement is no doubt
bizarre. Many people reject it as silliness, proof that THE MAN was some type
of misunderstood lunatic. Others just find it not believable. Even his
followers find it difficult to process or defend this statement, only believing
it by faith, but …..
So, it’s a crazy, unbelievable
statement …. Or is it?
