Saying 41: To Whoever Has, More Will Be Given
Whoever has something in hand will be given more; whoever has nothing will lose even the little they have.
Commentary
Harsh in every version. In Thomas the currency is understanding rather than money or talents, which makes the arithmetic feel less like injustice and more like a description of how insight compounds.
Parallels
Mark 4:25; Matthew 13:12; Matthew 25:29; Luke 19:26
Sayings on the same themes
- Saying 54 Saying 54: Blessed Are the Poor Blessed are the poor, for the kingdom of heaven is yours.
- Saying 72 Saying 72: Who Made Me a Divider? A man asks Jesus to make his brothers share their inheritance with him; Jesus asks who made him a divider, and turns…
- Saying 110 Saying 110: Finding the World and Renouncing It Whoever has found the world and become rich should renounce the world.
- Saying 109 Saying 109: The Treasure in the Field A man had a treasure buried in his field and knew nothing about it. He died and left the field to his…
- Saying 95 Saying 95: Do Not Lend at Interest If you have money, do not lend it at interest; give it to someone who will not pay you back.
- Saying 78 Saying 78: Why Did You Go Out to the Countryside? Why did you come out to the country — to see a reed shaken by the wind, or a man in soft…