TEACHING: A SUPERIOR ACT OF CHARITY

The manner this has been deeply impressed on me now makes the difference . There is a saying: ‘It is not so much giving men fish but teaching them how to fish that counts’. When we give men fish (which we should rightly do) we have only practised a non sustaining, ephemeral, and risky action ( love is a risk anyway) , which would probably come back to haunt in this plane of existence. Christ’s efforts at miracles often hardened their hearts, because man is corrupted.  The better strategy is to teach and perform the principal task of a teacher: letting go, even to the point of death. 

The moment Mary introduced Jesus into open miracle was the commencement of His passion. He had always constantly performed miracles beforehand but was so disinterested that no one knew the source of goodness in there lives. Only deepest faith like Mary can perceive that miracles happen continuously , but His self manifestation at Canaan only pointed to Calvary. Mary, for the love of humanity, you showed your Son the pathway to Calvary. Oore ni’won. But, God does not know how to measure gifts, it is in His nature to give over abundantly. Ko dun, ko po, ko pe, Oluwa lo n fun ni I se.

Back to our point. Teaching is very far superior to material giving. That is why Christ is the ultimate Teacher who sets Himself towards teaching others. Material miracles often comes only after He has set himself to teach them. 

The loftiest vocation is that of a teacher. This purpose informed why the Apostles devoted themselves to teaching and left the lower tasks to Deacons. But 99.99% of us are more interested in the latter because of its immediate gratification. 

The burden of application of what has been taught, weighs upon the learner. If we can apply successfully, it yields what Economists call ‘compound interest ’, that is life . Christ said: not everyone who call me Lord Lord will be with Me, but those who do the will of My Father 

The application of Christ teaching often involves letting go, skinning ourselves (detachment) to arrive at the point of ‘compound interest ’. The reason why Christ admonished us not to call any man a teacher is the fact that others can only point the way. When we trust Him, He not only points the way , but follow through the way with us because He is the Way. This is what grace does. This is why He only is ‘O-ran-mo-nise-faya-ti’.

As in heaven, so on earth. The bulk of problems most Students face is not in the area of knowledge or critical analysis, but in the area of Application. That is why the Application aspect of study is left until the final year when the student has been sufficiently taught and supposedly mature. Few people can apply in the face of worldly catastrophes. That is why many graduates 🎓 go seeking the safe harbour of employment which is a partial risk of application. Entrepreneurship,  a tasking and risky endeavour is what really pushes knowledge to the utmost test, it really opens us up to the path of application and unlearning the learnt. Aye le, eniyan soro...

The bulk of this ‘do what I tell you’ winner that Christ hints is why Application is the key and why without His grace, Application is useless, and why without faith and trust in Him it is impossible to receive this grace. Faith comes first. The bulk of our Spiritual works should be geared towards this work and manner of seeing. Without Him we can do nothing.

The basis is not to stop giving, it is to understand that the superior work lies in teaching, especially in a teaching that involves letting go, in being detached, because every teacher is also a learner, and the bulk of this learning consists in detachment. A teacher should not force, he must respect the learner’s free will. Forcing plays according to rules and laws, and there is a karma with a teaching that uses force. You might have a sufficient broadened heart to cope with its boomerang, just as Christ did after He drove out His point by driving the traders from the temple, but we cannot arrive at the point of abundance without ‘poverty’. Steve Jobs counseled His Students to be foolish, to be hungry.. ‘Eni ti o se bi alaaru l’Oyingbo, ko le se bi Adegboro l’Oja Oba’ . But this detachment should not be forced (only on ourselves) ,  the learner should be allowed to arrive at experience in freedom.

Giving has to lead to teaching, teaching is useless without acquiring knowledge, knowledge is useless without application of what is learnt, Application is useless without cultivating a detached spirit , detachment is useless without grace, grace is impossible without faith in Christ the only authentic Teacher! And this faith will be unnecessary without a burning fire 🔥 of ❤️ love!