The Dao And Jesus

The Dao and Jesus A Tract Book Essay By Anthony J. Fejfar, J.D., Esq., Coif © Copyright 2007 by Anthony J. Fejfar

In the book, The Tao of Jesus, Joseph Loya, et. al., discuss both a saying of Lao Tzu and a saying of Jesus regarding social justice. Although the Daoist verses by Lao Tzu are more abstract, still they are instructive: The Tao of Heaven is comparable to an outstretched bow: When high, lower it; When low, raise it; When excessive, reduce it; When deficient, supplement it. The Tao of Heaven reduces what is excessive, Supplements what is deficient…. (Tao Te Ching, 77) Interestingly, Lao Tzu seems to come to the same conclusion as Aristotle. Aristotle argues that the Good is found in moderation. Lao Tzu

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argues that the Tao, or the Good, is found in supplementing that which is deficient, and reducing that which is excessive. With respect to wealth, it is obvious that Lao Tzu and Aristotle both argue for moderation. Excessive wealth should be reduced and deficient wealth should be supplemented. Similarly, Jesus, in the Gospel of Luke, says: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, and let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord. (Luke 4, 18-19). Thus, Jesus asserts that the poor and the mentally ill are to be liberated. Those imprisoned unjustly and inhumanely are to be set free. The rich are to help the poor, either through direct financial help or by investing in programs and business that will provide services to the poor, or employ the poor. The same is true of the Poor in Spirit, the mentally ill. It is immoderate and excessive for the rich to selfishly keep their money and spend it on luxury goods. As Jesus says, it is easier for a camel to pass

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through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

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