Teach a Man to Fish
But Isn’t It Also Okay to Just Give Him a Fish?
“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” -Loazi, Chinese philosopher
Wait…Jesus didn’t say that?
Nope.
I remember my dad saying this though. He, like me and most Americans today have adopted this Chinese, Taoist principle of self-reliance.
It’s little things like this that American culture has heard and synchronized into a western, Christian mindset. So a Taoist principle is right up there with axioms such as, “Cleanliness is next to godliness.” Again…not in the Bible.
Listen, I’m all about cleanliness. I’m also all about helping people to be self-sustaining. Just because you won’t find them in the Bible doesn’t mean they are anti-Christian. But I wonder if the desire of not wanting to give a man a fish carries more weight than the idea of teaching a man to fish. I mean…what if it’s more about our own stinginess than our philanthropic nature. After all, we only have so many fish and our own people to feed.
Maybe. Maybe not. I guess that’s a question we each have to answer for ourselves.
But Isn’t It In The Bible?
Although the quote is rooted in eastern philosophy, the Bible does have quite a bit to say about giving a man a fish (so to speak).
“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” -Matthew 6:1-4
Jesus used giving to the needy as an object lesson to support his point of doing good privately. He said it in such a way that it could be glazed over as we take in the main point. But let’s not miss something obvious here. Jesus didn’t say if, he said when. That’s because generosity and hospitality toward the needy were central to godly living. He used an illustration they could all relate with because they were expected to do it.
And the point is, don’t post the fact that you gave something to someone in need on Instagram. It doesn’t make the gift any less significant, but you have received all the recognition and reward that you’re going to get. You’ve done God’s job for him.
Compare that with Proverbs 19:17 which says, “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.” So we give to those in need, not expecting anything in return—not repayment or even praise. But God sees it. More than that, he considers it as a loan to himself. I think he’ll make good on that.
Oh! And here’s another one…
James, the brother of Jesus, was teaching about how faith and good deeds go together. One of his compelling arguments was about giving.
Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? -James 2:15-16
Basically, how could you wish them well but not give to them? Doesn’t faith lead you to do something now? Don’t teach them how to grow crops and make clothing. Feed and clothe them!
Systemic Generosity
“When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God.” -Leviticus 19:9-10
There it is! The poor and the foreigner had to work to get food!
Yes. The theocratic system of government provided a way for the poor and the foreigner to live off its generous policies. All they had to do was show up and gather crops they didn’t plant. Crops that otherwise belonged to the farmer. Sounds like welfare.1
Generosity was systemically built into the Hebrew culture. There were no applications or background checks.
I understand not wanting to fund a destructive lifestyle. That’s not doing anyone any favors. I’ve talked to people who work with the homeless. “Don’t give them cash” is something I hear often. Okay…so give them a coat, a pair of socks, or maybe a burger or a bottle of water.2
You Have Permission
All that to say that it’s okay to give a man a fish if he’s hungry. In fact, that’s exactly what Jesus did when 5,000 people showed up to hear him teach. He didn’t pass out fishing rods and bait. He gave them bread and fish. Why? Because he had compassion on them.3 (What a great word.)
It’s okay to give just for the sake of giving without expecting anything from the other person or even knowing what they’re going to do with it. Consider this permission.
There are so many biblical references to generosity and (dare I say) handouts. Yes, handouts. Giving just because someone could really use it.
Handouts???!!!
But isn’t it better to give a hand up rather than a hand out?
Look, if you are able to give a hand up—to teach a man to fish—then, yes…you should do it. The hard fact is, most of us won’t. For the most part, we use the pithy phrases as reasons not to give so we don’t have to think about how we could walk with them for the long term.
Give them a job? Teach them a trade? Pay for education?
I know there are some amazing, generous people who have done that, but for most of us…
Yeah right.
The challenge here is to check our motivation the next time an opportunity to give to someone presents itself. Do we give with expectations from them? Do we not give because of our presupposed expectations of them? Do we need tax credit? Are we really just looking for a reason not to?
At one point Jesus sent his disciples out to do good and generous works all over Israel. He concluded with, “Freely you have received; freely give.”4
May we do likewise. I know you will.
Grace and Peace
I’m just going to let that sit there with no commentary.