IN 1999, I idiotically asked a professor why the Nobel cannot be given posthumously. The brilliant but snobbish professor simply said, “Then Jesus would have won it all, and who can top that?”
A Buddhist classmate teasingly asked, “A Nobel for what?”
“For peace, obviously,” said another.
The professor, Jesuit-raised, proceeded to agree with the bright one among the bunch—that the Nobel for Peace it is! Nevertheless, a fellow “Pilosopo Tasyo” remarked that if Christ would have it His way, and that peace would reign on earth, then there would be no free market system, as the Man from Heaven was a socialist at best, or even a communist at worst.
Did Jesus not espouse equality for all? Was he not anti-free-market? I also asked one of my favorite economics professors, the late brilliant Dr. Victor Venida, if Christ had a chance at the Nobel for Economics, not just a Nobel for Peace. Dr. Venida, wanting us to be critical thinkers, said, “Reflect on his works and teachings and, for that matter, what the Prophet Muhammad said about one’s behavior as a merchant.” His response was apt, as it respected the Islamic tradition into which I was born.
So, I mulled over what Jesus espoused and decided if his gospels had economic thoughts that could compete with Nobel winners. Was Jesus a great economist? Yes, I think so, for several reasons.
One, Christianity is not against the accumulation of wealth, per se. We see this introspection through the Parable of the Talents. Jesus’ gospels work on several dimensions. The parable relates to God’s expectations of how we serve Him through the good use of our skills and talents in helping others and bringing them to His fold. It also teaches us that, on the material level, being productive and useful pleases God. True service to humanity is not just about mere utterances of God’s teachings.
Jesus Christ, as Pope Francis reminds us, was always out to do ministry. Not all of us can become priests and nuns, and this is where the parable is instructive. Taken in the context of the Christ-Principle, it compels us to improve and apply our skills not only for our own comforts but also for social transformation.
Two, Jesus believed in empowering his disciples and followers via real hard work, not just preaching. He performed many miracles to prove that He was the Messiah. His followers had evidence that He was, indeed, the Son of God. Confident that they were working for the “real deal,” they became passionate in the pursuit of spreading His gospels.
Three, Jesus was a carpenter (builder) and a fisherman (provider). If we reflect on His life, He chose professions not desired by many. How many times did He lecture in the middle of the Sea of Galilee? By contrast, today’s economists just sit in their offices and speculate on inflation and foreign exchange. They talk about growth like it is just a complicated equation that should be solved.
A true prophet should not hide. Christ was a laborer. As my Hindu friend pointed out, he chose to be born as a poor royal and be employed in labor-intensive professions. To fully empower someone is to show that hard work is decent work. As a Muslim, I believe Jesus showed that more than any other prophet of Allah. When we honor hard labor as the bedrock of a nation’s productive endeavors, we elevate those who toil with sweat and tears. We value them. Four, Jesus shunned conspicuous consumption. He was not anti-rich, but He was against evil, abusive people who just happened to be rich. What people forget is that he had many supporters who were rich but generous and helpful.
Last, a professor of finance and banker gave us the idea why Jesus is the best economist of all time by introducing the concepts of net present value, rate of return, and inter-temporality in the context of savings and investments.
Christ offers a good investment plan that transcends material comfort. By simply being good and charitable, especially to those who are in need, we are assured of a place in His Father’s Mansion. The good deeds are the seeds of investment. Charity can be in the form of one-peso donations, soothing words to those who are suffering, time spent with elderly relatives, kindness to orphans, compassion to animals, and many others. The time covered for investing is finite, but the return on investment is infinite. While life here is temporary, the life hereafter is eternal. The interest on one’s good deeds are compounded infinitely many times.
Merry Christmas to all!
Ms. Priscile Minde Yap-Bahjin is a Muslim raised in Catholic Schools and is a graduate student at the Ateneo De Manila University.