JUDGMENT

 

 

To whom much is given, much more is expected.

 

For every right, there is a corresponding responsibility.  The presence of more attributes connotes the existence of more duties.  When God created the living beings, He endowed them not with the same but with relatively unequal attributes.  Some got more than the others.  To Him it does not really matter because the attributes carried with them the corresponding duty of serving Him.  The person receiving greater attributes cannot be happier than the one with less because he has more responsibilities.  This is God's justice.  Nobody has any valid complaint.

 

For example, one child born of poor parents might wish he were born of rich parentage.  But he is not really aware that he is even luckier because he is exposed to less temptation of material things, that he has fewer responsibilities.

 

On the other hand, the rich boy will rejoice at his lucky stars being reared by parents of great material abundance.  The rich kid needs not rejoice for he is exposed to material things.  And it carries with it the duty to help his neighbors because to whom much is given, much more is expected.  That is why Jesus Christ said it is hard for the rich man to go to heaven.  He will have to pass through the eye of the needle.  What Jesus meant is that the rich man has more temptations. And he has more duties of elevating his neighbors materially.  He has the duty of sharing.  And because man, the unrefined man, is selfish, it will take some struggle for the idea of "sharing" to sink in.  Sharing one's attributes, sharing one's fortune is Love.  Because the rich man is endowed with more material benefits, he has the corresponding responsibility of finding the means of providing ways to share his fortune with the less fortunate to uplift them.

 

In other words, he has the duty of using material wealth for the betterment of all, his and his neighbors.  One way is by engaging in business that will provide work, where his workers receive just wages.  The workers, freed from the basic psychological needs like food, clothing, and shelter, can now turn to God.

 

The responsibility of the rich man does not stop at providing his workers with the basic necessities of life.  He has to provide them the right spiritual climate.  For example, putting up a chapel where his workers can pray regularly and encouraging his workers to advance spiritually.  Providing Bible lessons is most welcome.  No wonder then that the rich man has to pass through the eye of a needle.  He has so much responsibility.  He has to account for the right use of every material benefit God gave him.  But if you are poor, you have much, much less to account for and, therefore, more chances of passing the exam of life.

Riches is one aspect of the benefits given by God.  Another is Intelligence.  Some are dull, incorrigibly unreachable.  Some are very sharp.  Again each one has to account for the use of these gifts.  It would appear that the bright are lucky.  But in a family, the loving parents will be more concerned with the slow learner, giving more attention and guidance to him, compared with the bright ones.  God will show special attention to the slow learner.  The bright ones are more independent and more inquisitive.  He does not accept spiritual truths blindly.  He asks for reasons.  That's why those with faith, accepting spiritual truths blindly, have more chances of going to heaven like the poor.  Therefore, the bright ones have to struggle more and avoid the temptation of pride, just like Lucifer who tried to show that he can do what God can, like creating man.  Lucifer succeeded only in creating gross spirits.

 

Moreover, the bright ones are expected by God to light the way for others to see.  He has to share his Awareness of things material, and much more so of things spiritual.  In the end, he will be made to account for the use of the gift of talent.

 

Another special gift is personality.  Some persons are naturally attractive just like a powerful lodestone.  Did they use their personality for their own selfish advantage, or in setting good examples for others to follow?  Movie stars are endowed with this attractive personality.  If they use it just to acquire more experiences of romance, then they use it for a selfish end.  But if they make use of it by living upright and therefore setting good examples for their fans to emulate, then they use correctly the God-given gifts.

 

There are countless other gifts.  Another is leadership.  One is a born leader if he is more superior in Intelligence, in personality, in communication skills, and even in material benefits.   Again, he has to account for this gift of leadership.  Did he use it for the attainment of naked power?  Did he use it for the sincere uplift of his constituents and, through his example, uplift their spirituality also?  Was he a leader not only during flood emergencies but also in prayer rallies?  Again, he has to account for the use of this gift of leadership.

 

Man was created equal with one another, in the sense that his spirit came from God.  But God made his creation more interesting by gifting each man with different talents and degrees of talents, and different material circumstances in life.  In this sense, man was born unequal in life.  And whatever attributes you receive, each one has to account for them.  If you use them for the betterment of mankind, you will be credited accordingly.  To whom much is given, much more is expected. This provides the equalizer.  This is God's sense of justice.