The Brown Book Commentaries

“Give for alms those things that are within;
and everything will be clean for you.”
~ Jesus (Luke 11:41)
First and foremost it is important to realize that Paul (much as he did for most of the other major
theological concepts in the New Testament) had a very different approach than Jesus to tithing. While
Jesus encouraged all (especially his disciples, the ones who were to do the preaching of his message) to
serve selflessly without payment ( ―You received without payment; give without payment‖ ~ Matthew
10:5-8), Paul made frequent justifications for doing just the opposite – saying that ―to one who works,
wages are not reckoned as a gift but as something due‖ (Romans 4:4) and that ― if anyone is not willing to
work, then he is not to eat, either.‖(2 Thessalonians 3:10). In addition, Paul went even a step further
when he noted that preachers specifically were due payment for their preaching (see 1 Timothy 5:17,
Galatians 6:6, and 1 Corinthians 9:14 – a verse which contradicts The Way of Christ quite directly in
stating that ―the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the
gospel‖ … Of course, a bit more important is what Luke 11:41 means for the rest of us who are not
preachers; how we are supposed to tithe in accordance with this teaching? Note that the answer to this
apparent conundrum is not so difficult to decipher, seeing as how it is LOVE that is for Jesus ever
―within‖ – not only LOVE, but both the heavenly Father and His Kingdom (see John 14:20 & Luke
17:20-21). As such, tithing to others Jesus-style is really quite straightforward; requiring us to simply
Joy-fully sacrifice for others -- especially those least deserving of the same (Matthew 5:40-44) &/or those
who are scorned or downtrodden (Matthew 25:35-40). This is how we give of God or Heaven, for
Heaven is made of God -- and God, of Love (Matthew 5:48).
―If there is any Kindness I can show, or any Good Thing I can do for any fellow being, let
me do it now, and not deter or neglect it – as I shall not pass this way again.‖ ~ William Penn
It is not for us to seek and find and engage the boldest, or the most important, or the most
pressing need in any moment or circumstance … Rather, it is enough that we quickly catalog the
most obvious opportunities available to us, and boldly choose to engage the one(s) we happen to
fear the most.
―Give Light -- and the darkness will disappear on its own.‖ ~ Erasmus
Give Forgiveness – and hatred must bow its head in defeat … Give Kindness – and enemies
will melt into friends … Give Compassion – and ignorance is transformed into Wisdom … Give
Love – and fear has no choice but to flee.
―When you ask what Love is, you may be too frightened to See the answer … You may have to
shatter the house you have built. You may have to go back to the Temple … Fear is not Love. Nor is
Love dependence, jealousy, possessiveness, domination, responsibility, duty, self-pity or any of the
other things that conveniently and conventionally pass for Love. If you can eliminate all these, not by
forcing them but by washing them away as the rain washes the dust of many days from a leaf, then
perhaps you will come upon this strange and Wonder-full Flower [that is true Love].‖ ~ Krishnamurti
We cannot come to know the Love within us by striving to cleanse ourselves of fear or by struggling to
put aside our selfish addictions. For the more we strive against fear, the stronger fear becomes, and the
more we struggle against selfishness, the more desire rules the day. As such, the only way to free the Self
to know its Love is to be gentle with the ego while radiating Strength from Self – by setting aside fears just
for the instant it takes to Care for another with boldness; to set aside desire just long enough to sacrifice a
portion of one‘s own comfort to aid another … And this choice must involve action – words or thoughts or
emotions are not nearly enough. Indeed, we cannot know what Love truly is when we merely ask of its true
nature. Asking alone implies a certain fear – a fear that by its very nature obscures true Love from view.
No, the only way to truly know true Love is to
leap into Loving – to shatter all houses of safety,
and go back to the Temple that honors both
strangers & enemies as though they were God.
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