If You Teach a Man to Fish, He Will Probably Starve

There was a Rich man who saw that his Poor neighbor was hungry. The Rich man felt sad and decided he wanted to help the poor man.  The next day Rich awoke from a peaceful nights sleep and after having a large, satisfying breakfast, he went and said to his Poor neighbor, "I will help you."

Rich retrieved his fishing pole from his locked shed and invited Poor to his private, well-stocked, fresh-water stream that ran behind his home.  He taught Poor to bait and cast.  Rich was successful and caught several large bass for dinner that night.  Rich smiled inwardly as knew that he had done a great thing for Poor.  Rich taught Poor to fish and now Poor would never be hungry again.  Rich took his bass, his bait, all the hooks and his pole home.  Rich had a filling dinner, threw away the leftovers and fell asleep, still smiling.

The next morning, Rich awoke again from a peaceful slumber filled with sweet dreams, and ate a delicious, nutritional meal.  He walked outside to find Poor dying from starvation. Rich was angry.  He had wasted his energy and time teaching Poor to fish and here Poor was, still burdening society with his hunger and poverty. Rich cast Poor aside, scoffing Poor's lazy attitude and lack of work ethic.  Rich wondered if Poor expected him to share the fish he had caught? Bitterness set into Rich's heart. "That will only make him more lazy and dependent upon my generosity," thought Rich. "Let his hunger motivate him to fish as I taught him to."  Rich left with his pole, his hooks and his bait and went to go catch his dinner.

It wasn't that Poor hadn't tried.  He cut a branch from a tree and found some leftover twine to try and make a pole.  There was no bait, so Poor took a bit of bread and attached it to the end of the string.  There was no hook, so Poor prayed for a miracle.  Poor had no land.  He walked several miles until he found a small standing of run-off water.  It was polluted and contained no living thing.  Poor didn't realize his attempts were futile.  His hope and self-esteem plummeted as he continued, in vain, to try and mimic what Rich had taught him.   After hours in the hot sun, Poor fell asleep, confused at his failure.  It was fitful, sleeping on the ground, and he tossed and turned.  His body ached and he woke up more tired than when he fell asleep.

Thoughts ran through his mind of survival. Could he steal a fish? Could he beg for a fish? Were his only choices crime or humilation? One would send him to prison and the other would make him a mockery of society. He thought of his children.  How they were hungry and counting on him.  He thought of Rich and all the fish he so easily caught with his shiney pole, sharp hooks and fresh bait.  Hopelessness set into Poor's heart.

Luke 16: 19 - 31