SAYING 72: A man said to him, “Tell my brothers to divide my father’s possessions with me.” He said to him, “O man, who has made me a divider?” He turned to his disciples and said to them, “I am not a divider, am I?”
Many scholars tend to read this saying as a facetious or sarcastic one where Jesus behaves almost like a standup comedian who turns to his disciples with the punchline to the man’s request.
While it may come across this way, it’s more likely that Jesus is merely using this as a teaching opportunity and a way for him to not only refuse to play the role of an arbitrator in a family inheritance dispute, but also to remind his disciples that division isn’t part of the Kingdom reality he’s been trying to teach them about.
If this man who asks the question were one of his disciples, then Jesus might respond by pointing out that the division between this man and his brothers is an illusion, and that the focus on the wealth of this world – which is a corpse – is literally a dead end. He might even have pulled the man aside and explained more about how important it is for us to erase those dividing lines so that we can experience the oneness of all things, which is the true reality of our universe.
But this man is not one of Jesus’s own disciples. He’s simply calling out to Jesus for help with this personal family squabble. Much the same way we might fall on our knees today and ask God to work out our financial troubles, or pray for God to untangle our interpersonal difficulties, this man wants Jesus to wave his hand and make it all better. Jesus not only refuses to help the man, but he also emphasizes our need to change the way we see before we attempt to change what we see.
Jesus is not a divider. Division is impossible for those who see the reality of our Oneness with all things. The one who understands this reality will not seek for anyone help him to divide up an inheritance with his brothers but would, instead, look for ways to share that inheritance between each person in the family, and then even extend that sharing with anyone around them whose need was greater than their own.
Dividing things up between brothers only reduces the wealth between them. Sharing the inheritance freely recognizes their connection to each other and celebrates the abundance they’ve all received from their Father. This is a great lesson for each of us.
Once we recognize our inseparable connection with the Father and with each other, we’ll seek to find ways to share what we have – not break everything down into separate, equal pieces.
The more we experience the metanoia transformation from the inside out, the more we’ll begin to see reality as it truly is, and the more we’ll recognize the Christ in everyone as our new way of being.
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Join me starting Monday, September 5, 2023 for a 3-week online course based on my book, SOLA MYSTERIUM: Celebrating the Beautiful Uncertainty of Everything.
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Keith Giles is the best-selling author of the Jesus Un series. He has appeared on CNN, USA Today, BuzzFeed, and John Fugelsang’s “Tell Me Everything.” He hosts the Second Cup with Keith podcast, and co-hosts the Apostates Anonymous podcast, and the Heretic Happy Hour Podcast.
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