Introduction:

This is also a “koan”.   It makes no sense if taken literally.  The expected response is: “no way am I going to give to everyone who asks.  I would soon be destitute.”

On a personal level, thoughtful giving has the unique benefit of rewarding both the receiver and the giver.  The person who gives is rewarded by the joy they receive in helping another.

Jesus would have us give freely out of compassion rather than give out of a sense of obligation.  He denies for example family obligations of children to parents.  (His denial of his mother as being family when she asked for him.  His quote “let the dead bury the dead”)  He also denies the obligation of giving to organized religion.  (Overturning of the money changers tables in the temple.)

Guard against guilt over not giving enough.  Guard against wagging a finger at either another or at ourselves for not giving enough.

Allow giving to stem either from compassion or from the pure joy of giving.

 

Sayings of Jesus:

Give to Anyone Who Asks; The Golden Rule

Luke 6: 30-32

30 Give to everyone who asks of you; and, when anyone takes away what is yours, do not demand its return.

31 Do to others as you wish them to do to you.

32 If you love only those who love you, what thanks will be due to you? Why, even the outcast love those who love them!

Parable of the Foolish Rich Man

Luke 12: 16-20

16 Then Jesus told them this parable — “There was once a rich man whose land was very fertile; 17 and he began to ask himself ‘What will I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops? 18 This is what I will do,’ he said; ‘I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and store all my grain and my goods in them; 19 and I will say to myself, Now you have plenty of good things put by for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.’ 20 But God said to the man ‘Fool! This very night your life is being demanded; and as for all you have prepared — who will have it?’

The Good Samaritan

Luke 10: 30-35

To which Jesus replied: “A man was once going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when he fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him of everything, and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. 31 As it chanced, a priest was going down by that road. He saw the man, but passed by on the opposite side. 32 A Levite, too, did the same; he came up to the spot, but, when he saw the man, passed by on the opposite side. 33 But a Samaritan, traveling that way, came upon the man, and, when he saw him, he was moved with compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, dressing them with oil and wine, and then put him on his own mule, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Take care of him,’ he said, ‘and whatever more you may spend I will myself repay you on my way back.’

(note: The priest and Levite would have been considered by Jesus’ audience to have “correct beliefs”; The Samaritans were normally disrespected and thought to have had false beliefs.)

Emperor and God

Mark 12: 14-17

are we right in paying taxes to the Emperor, or not? 15 Should we pay, or should we not pay?” Knowing their hypocrisy, Jesus said to them: “Why are you testing me? Bring me a coin to look at.” 16 And, when they had brought it, he asked: “Whose head and title are these?”

“The Emperor’s,” they said; 17 and Jesus replied: “Pay to the Emperor what belongs to the Emperor, and to God what belongs to God.”

Stories and Commentary

The Good Samaritan

Let the priest and Levite represent correct knowledge and correct beliefs.  The Samaritan represents wrong beliefs.  What matters, according to Jesus, is what we do!  What we know or what we believe are of less consequence than our actions.

Emperor and God

To the Jewish peasant in the day of Jesus this question “Do you pay the Roman tax?” was a dangerous question.  It demanded an “either-or” answer.  Either you are with us, or you are against us.  Refuse to pay and the Romans hurt you; pay the Roman tax and the Jewish Zealots hurt you.

Jesus changes the “either-or” way of thinking it to a “double yes” way of thinking.  The Jewish peasant could say yes to the tax, and still say yes to their religion.