My first lesson in bookkeeping was that for every account that receives, there will always be another one that gives. This implies that the account that receives is indebted to the one that gives, although appearing as if benefitting. Zimbabwe has endured untold suffering, to the extent that some people regret being born Zimbabwean. Many other countries have experienced similar conditions, becoming the laughingstock of the world. A few corrupt individuals have immensely benefited at the expense of the entire populace. Such individuals are indebted to the citizens of Zimbabwe and are obliged to repay, either in this life or in the life to come.
A chief tax collector named Zacchaeus is recorded as a man who realized the folly of benefitting unduly before he died. After interacting with Jesus, Zacchaeus committed himself to repaying the unjustly received gains. “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold” (Luke 19:8 NKJV). He made this promise after realizing that all debts must be repaid, whether in this life or the next. This is because one of the immutable laws of the universe is that whatever is received leaves one indebted to the giver.
Disadvantaged individuals, receiving aid from donors, often repay by expressing gratitude or idolizing the giver, which can leave the giver with an inflated ego. However, Jesus’ disciples were encouraged to give without expecting anything in return. All commendable activities in this world were not to be repaid by the beneficiaries. This meant that they would not be indebted to anyone in this world but would be repaid by God in Heaven. Giving was to be done secretly so that the beneficiaries would direct their gratitude to God rather than humans.
“Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise, you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly” (Matthew 6:1-4 NKJV).
Jesus taught them a unique way of conduct. Who in this world gives without expecting, at least, some appreciation? The trappings of humanity lie in material possessions. To be freed from this world, one needs to surrender everything. However, when one is unaware of value without physical possessions, one feels incapacitated. Jesus, being the only model of what God’s Kingdom entails, never took anything with Him to heaven after being resurrected. At His resurrection, He wore an imperishable body, which is sustainable even without food.
“There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores. So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torment in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
“Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you, there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’
“Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, Father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead’” (Luke 16:19-31 NKJV).
This parable might be among the least favoured by those who advocate for enjoying life on earth while using the Bible to deceive. They would prefer that such Scriptures were not canonically included. There is nothing wrong with enjoying life on earth, as this is the time allotted for such pursuits, for ordinary humanity. However, what is most abominable to God is selecting agreeable portions of Scripture to deceive the unsuspecting populace. The question of belief in Jesus does not allow for selectivity in what to believe and what not to believe.
Lazarus is depicted as the most despicable individual among those considered privileged. When randomly asking people on the streets how many would prefer the miserable one associated with Lazarus, it is unlikely that there would be more than five positive agreements among ten thousand people asked. This world suggests that the accumulation of material wealth is all there is to living. The parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man is fascinating but does not reveal whether Lazarus deliberately chose to live in that condition.
We can only assume that he did not choose to live in that condition but was exposed to it by fate. These are the people for whom Jesus came to redeem. The rich man may have been commended for his hard work in his career. These are the people most adored on Earth. However, according to the transactional principle, a receiver is indebted to someone in this life or the life to come. His colleague, Zacchaeus, recognized the folly of living in comfort, unaware of the accumulating debt. After the physical demise of both of them, the tables turned, and now Lazarus is in comfort, while the one who was considered rich is languishing in appalling conditions.
The expository parable teaches us to be aware that life is not physical, therefore, it is unnecessary to be guided by physical instincts. This leaves a question of why it was necessary to live in the flesh, in the first place. Does a person have to survive in the flesh with its demands that are contrary to the spirit? The answer is a resounding “Yes,” as the condition of living in eternity demands one to consciously select good from evil. Goodness is derived in humility, where the person does not limit joy and interest to oneself, but also being mindful of others.
“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:3-11 NKJV).
The rich man in the previous parable died indebted to those in his surroundings, among whom, Lazarus was. He could have used his physical life to settle the debt so that he could be accepted in eternal dwellings. However, he found comfort too overwhelming, unaware of its temporary nature. The purpose of the physical life is to sacrifice it for the benefit of eternal life. The physical life does not need loving, but using it for the benefit of others rather than for oneself. The rich man may have worked hard to deserve the good life, envied by many, but his folly was in not being aware of the temporary nature of physical life.
Then one from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” But He said to him, “Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?” And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do since I have no room to store my crops?’ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:13-21 NKJV).
Jesus revealed another parable, this time exposing the nature of foolishness. He was approached by someone seeking fairness in the distribution of inheritance. Some individuals are considered wealthy due to the inheritance left by their forebears. Such individuals are often deemed fortunate by many. However, this is not necessarily the case, as illustrated by Jesus in his conversation with the young man who sought a fair distribution of inheritance. The transactional principle demands that an account that receives owes to the giver. The young man may have considered himself as not owing anyone, but this could not be true when considering the significance of that parable. The father who left the inheritance was indebted to someone, according to the transactional conditions.
The rich fool, who believed that the bountiful harvest was meant solely for his enjoyment, assumed he owed nothing to anyone. He likely thought that God favoured him by providing sufficient rain for an abundant crop. Unfortunately, he was confined to the physical realm, assuming that nature provides without any higher control. He never considered the necessity of preparing for his future life, seemingly assuming he would live forever. Thus, Jesus describes him as foolish. Manna comes from heaven, but who provides that manna?
This is the question a wise person should ask. Things may seem favourable, but to whom is the credit owed for that goodness? Some people focus upward but neglect those around them. Whoever might be considered despicable or inhuman was created in God’s image. Thus, a wise person aligns God with the people in his or her surroundings. One cannot assume to be godly at all times while neglecting those in desperate need of assistance. Life is meaningful only when one positively addresses the question of what they do to alleviate the suffering of those in need.
“No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this, we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
“Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us. If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also” (1 John 4:12-21 NKJV).
All material things in our possessions are owed to those of this world, including the physical body in which we survive. The burial of the person is meant to seal one’s freedom, as one would no longer owe anyone. But as long as one lives, that person certainly owes those around him or her, in one way or the other. There is nothing as sweet as making those going through hard times, happy, whose lives get alleviated by one’s conduct. Yet in this life, we also have people whose sweetness of life is in observing those going through hard times, due to their conduct. This includes those whose giving would be influenced by praises or those whose giving is to bribe people for a specific benefit.
Andrew Masuku is the author of Dimensions of a New Civilization, laying down standards for uplifting Zimbabwe from the current state of economic depression into a model for other nations worldwide. A decaying tree provides an opportunity for a blossoming sprout. Written from a Christian perspective, the book is a product of inspiration, bringing relief to those having witnessed the strings of unworkable solutions––leading to the current economic and social decay. Most Zimbabweans should find the book as a long-awaited providential oasis of hope, in a simple conversational tone.
The Print copy is now available at Amazon.com for $13.99
Also available as an e-copy at Lulu.com for $6.99