gospel of Thomas 41

Jesus said, "Whoever has something in his hand will receive more, and whoever has nothing will be deprived of even the little he has."

These are harsh words from Jesus. It sounds almost like the basis of capitalism. If you have something, you'll get more. And if you have nothing, forget it, even the little you have will be taken away from you. Here, of course, Jesus is not talking about material things though. He is talking about your spirit and your faith; your trust in existence. And, in the end, your happiness.

If you have begun to taste spirituality, if you have had hints of the essence that lies deep within you – just a little glimpse now and again – it is a really good sign. You have something in your hand. It may not be much. The smallest taste, perhaps, a hint. But that is enough. Enough for that flame within you to grow bigger, to grow stronger.

So if you have something – if you have had some personal experience – then really there is no going back. Sooner or later, that flame will grow. You will have more. There is more to come. Similarly, if you have some trust in the process of life, it too will grow. Your trust will get stronger. Your faith will become stronger. And in the end, these processes will lead to a great celebration, a joy in life.

Jesus says whoever has nothing will be deprived of even the little he has. If you have not yet touched the essence within you, if you have not yet had the humility to look within yourself, and face what is really there, then you are living in the world of delusion. And until that way of being in the world has changed a little, there is no hope.

During such a period of life – which may be your whole life – then your spirituality cannot flower. And this is why Jesus says, if you have nothing, that is, if you have not tasted the reality of your innermost being, if you have not set foot on your spiritual path, then whatever you have will be taken away from you. Even if you have moments of contentment, they will be dependent on the outer circumstances of your life, on the environment and the people around you. And this is all subject to change. And with that change, you will feel a loss, because your sense of well-being is coming from the outer world, and is conditional upon it.

This is why Jesus says, if you have nothing – that is if you have not tasted your own spirit yet – it doesn't matter how much material wealth you have, it will be taken away from you. Not by some mean, personified God: it's just the nature of life that everything is in flux. Everything in the manifest world is changing. You are changing. The people you know are changing. Your relationships are changing. Your source of income will change. Everything.

So whilst you are relying on those outer circumstances for your happiness, you are very vulnerable. Sooner or later they will change, and you will be deeply unhappy. You will feel that something has been taken away from you.

Jesus is, here, giving a fairly dire warning. But of course, if we heed the warning, if we look, if we look at what he is saying, and look inside ourself, then we too will begin to get that taste – a hint of that which underlies life; a hint of the essential; the essence within us, and within all that is. And then we too will be on the path. And from there, we will receive more.

So if you have not yet set foot on your spiritual journey, do so without delay. Now is the time.