Jesus said, “If you have money, do not lend it out at interest. Rather, give it to one from whom you will not get it back.”
When it comes to the difficult sayings of Jesus, those about how we treat the outcast and what we do with our money are at the top of the list. Especially because they demand that we behave in ways that most of us deep down really wouldn’t ever want to. Yet, we all want to think of ourselves as generous and kind. So, when Jesus challenges us to give more than we would like, or to love more than we’re comfortable with, it makes us more aware of just how selfish and self-centered we really are.
To help us mitigate our selfishness, Jesus asks us to give freely to whoever asks us without expecting anything in return. That is true generosity that originates from a place of selfless love. We’re giving without a thought for how it might benefit ourselves. And that is the point of giving, isn’t it? To share what we have without demanding something for ourselves at the end of the process is what even the most basic generosity looks like.
If we give money to someone expecting to receive even more in return, then how does that equate to being generous? When it’s all said and done, we’re the ones who still have more than the person we gave the money to.
Now, when we shift our focus to the reality of Oneness and unity, this saying makes even more sense. The other person is not “other” than me. The person we lend the money to is an extension of the Divine Consciousness, just as we are. Giving freely to ourselves makes sense. Giving to ourselves without expecting to gain more in the process also makes sense. The process of sharing is an ebb and flow of resources that benefit all of us as we respond to the needs we perceive around us. All of us need food, water, shelter, love and connection to survive. To withhold those things from anyone is inhuman and cruel. To give freely is an expression of Divine connection with everything around us.
So, let us give as freely as we receive from one another, and the Divine source. Because we are all connected to one another, and the differences between us are merely illusions that deceive us.
**
Join me for a fascinating deep dive into the new book by Rick Rubin, “The Creative Act” starting Saturday, Feb. 10 at 2pm MT for CREATAS: Conversations About The Creative Act, co-led by Angie Von Slaughter.
Learn more and register HERE>
**
Keith Giles is the best-selling author of the Jesus Un series. He has appeared on CNN, USA Today, BuzzFeed, and John Fugelsang’s “Tell Me Everything.” He hosts the Second Cup with Keith podcast, and co-hosts the Apostates Anonymous podcast, and the Heretic Happy Hour Podcast.
His latest book, Second Cup with Keith is available now on Amazon HERE>
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In