Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day.
Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.
Most of us are probably familiar with the wisdom quoted above. It's used often to show how training and education is better than a hand out. And it's true in the context of giving someone the skill to provide for themselves is much better than meeting their need for one day. But it's not the end all be all on the matter.
I know how to fish, in theory. I have caught more than one meal. And if I had to feed myself with a fishing pole, I probably wouldn't starve, but there would definitely be hunger and times I went without. I'm not very good at it. Compared to some people I know and am related to, I don't know much about fishing. It is an effort for me. It is a skill I have only the basic ability to do. So naturally the snarky voice within my head always responded to the above by saying that you only know for sure that the man will have fish every day if you give him a fish everyday.
Now, in the context of welfare and charity, this is not a good solution. Resources are limited, someone has to do the work of fishing to give to those who aren't fishing when they could be taught to, and it causes the receiver to become helpless and totally reliant upon the fisherman. But that snarky voice that understood if I had to really on my fishing abilities there would be days when I went hungry had something right. When it comes to the spiritual and our relationship with God, the response that isn't good for human aid is exactly the right response.
This is why Jesus told us to pray to Daddy to give us our daily bread. God's resources aren't limited. There is no danger of Him running out. Moreover we are to be totally reliant on Him. God is not teaching us and guiding us to a place of self reliance. On the contrary, the closer we get to Him and the more we become spiritually mature, the less self reliant we are for our needs.
God placed this thought on my heart this morning when while opening my computer to prepare for my morning readings and writing, and I saw something on Facebook that that felt off. Someone I care a lot about and respect posted some verses from The Message. I know several people who read this paraphrasing of the Scripture, and today's Unshackled Moment is not a rant against that version of the Word. Nor is it in any way an attack on, or a disparaging of, people who read The Message. I am a firm believer that the Holy Spirit can speak the truth of the Word to the heart of those willing to hear and seek Him, regardless of the translation. I just also firmly believe that The Message makes that job harder for Him. It has nuances that lead our minds and hearts subtly in the wrong direction at times, at least when compared to the original Greek scripture. Like I mentioned, the Holy Spirit is able to minister the truth of His meaning to the hearts of those willing to hear. Perhaps my friends who use this version don't assume they understand it and allow the Spirit to teach them the meaning, while the Spirit guides me away from The Message knowing my limits and that I would take the words and run the wrong direction while thinking I understood.
Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me-watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-lifting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.
- Matthew 28-30 (MSG)
Here is how these verses read from the Greek:
Come hither towards Me, all the ones who are toiling and having been laden, and I shall be giving you rest. Lift the yoke of Me on you. Learn from Me that meek I am and humble of the heart, and you shall be finding rest to the souls of you. The yoke of Me kindly and the load of me light is.
The New King James says it this way:
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.
So what's the big deal? They're all pretty much the same, except in the Greek Jesus sounds a little like Yoda. Right? Through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, they actually will, all three, mean the same thing to our hearts if we don't assume to know and allow Him to teach us. But for folks like me, they are very different. So it's for us that I want to point of something very important to our spiritual life and how this relates to teaching a man to fish.
First, this is not about, or at least not only about being worn out and tired of religion, but weary with life. Some may not limit this to spiritual matters because of the line about religion, but there is that within me that would try to stick it in the spiritual only category because being a Christian doesn't seem to make my manual labor job less hard on my body and exhausting. But when we are going through life on our own, trying to make it work our own way, we get weary and burdened in every area of life, in all our situations, our emotions, our minds, our hearts and our souls, This is what Jesus is addressing.
The second thing, and here is where the teach a man to fish comes in, is that this verse does not imply or say that Jesus will teach us how to take or get or make rest for ourselves. He says quite bluntly that He shall or will be the One giving us rest. The difference is subtle but huge. It's the difference in reliance. Teach a man to fish, and from then on, he is responsible to get up each day, grab his net or his pole, go fishing, catch fish and feed himself. Teach a man to rest, and then he is responsible for applying that education into practice so that he has rest. But give a man a fish every day, and he relies on you to bring him his fish. Jesus wants us to rely on Him, every single moment of every single day for the rest He gives. Our reliance is on him and not on our ability to put into practice the methods of finding rest that He teaches.
Jesus emphasizes His point with the rest of the verse. We take or lift His yoke upon our backs, replacing the one we carry. The one we carry, the one we are born with because of the curse, is to care for and provide for ourselves, to serve ourselves, and for many, by extension, our family. But Jesus came for one purpose, to serve and do the will of God. He says, put down your self seeking burden and serve Daddy with Me. Learn what that means by watching me, for I am meek
[The word in the Greek that is translated as meek does not mean to be timid or afraid or really even gentle, as the NKJV has it. The word in first century secular Greek writings is the word used to describe a horse that has been trained and disciplined and responds to his rider. It is the word to describe a wild animal that has been trained. As a war horse is not afraid and will charge into battle, run down enemies, but is not out of control and always responds to his rider, so Jesus is unafraid and goes even to the death on the cross in response to the direction and will of the Father.]
and lowly of heart or humble
[The word in the Greek translated as humble here means to be reliant upon God. It means to be completely the opposite of self reliant.]
and you shall find rest. Compared to the life of self seeking and self provision, My way is easy,
[Most translations say easy here. The Greek word is found in the Bible seven times. It is translated as easy once (here), kind twice, better, goodness, good and gracious once each.]
yes easier than your natural way, better than your way, good and gracious.
God's way, life in service to Him, is the easier, softer way. We don't learn to take care of ourselves, we learn from the example of Jesus the benefits of being totally controlled by and reliant upon Daddy. When we go through life with the yoke or burden or job or mission of serving Him rather than ourselves, we don't manufacture or provide rest for ourselves, but we will find it, along with peace, joy, love and all the fruits or rewards that come with being controlled by and reliant upon the Spirit of God.
Lord, give us this day our daily needs. Let us become totally reliant upon you for our rest and everything else that we need in every area of our like. Give us the grace to totally be broken and surrendered to Your will as a war horse, still full of courage and spirit is responsive and surrendered to his rider. Amen.
Today's Unshackled Echo was previously published on
January 16, 2016.
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