Zacchaeus Economics
The short form, is that Zacchaeus Economics is a system of achieving maximum good output from people and companies. Although the term is nothing new, this is about a totally new concept, that less than ten people in the World are aware of at the time of this writing. A system which could change the path of mankind.
| Luk 19:11 | And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. |
I believe what comes before and after that verse, is two different systems, which I believe God intends to be combined into one to create a new and far more advanced system of society. A system which will bring out the best in people, and in theory could even bring about World Peace as promised in the Bible and in Christmas songs.
| Luk 2:13 | And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, |
| Luk 2:14 | Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. |
The first of those two systems, has come to be known as Zacchaeus Economics. It is very likely the inspiration for people like Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, who are now trying to convince very wealthy people to give away half of their wealth to charity. A quick check of news reports tells me they have so far 92 billionaires who have taken the pledge.
There's actually a bit more to Zacchaeus Economics than first meets the eye. It is not until you fully understand the concept, that you begin to grasp the full potential.
Long ago, I've discovered that knowledge of one field of study can be used in another field to gain a unique perspective. For example, knowledge of electronic engineering can be used in mechanical engineering. Often comparison of multiple fields of study yield new knowledge that no one else knows of.
Zacchaeus Economics is one example of this, as you'll soon find out. First, you need to know the story of Zacchaeus.
| Luk 19:1 | And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. |
| Luk 19:2 | And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. |
| Luk 19:3 | And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. |
| Luk 19:4 | And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. |
| Luk 19:5 | And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. |
| Luk 19:6 | And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. |
| Luk 19:7 | And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. |
| Luk 19:8 | And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. |
| Luk 19:9 | And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. |
| Luk 19:10 | For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. |
Zacchaeus Economics is a system of achieving maximum good output from people and companies.
To understand this, I shifted my thinking into the area of electronics. You don't need to know electronics, 'cause I'm going to explain what I learned.
Imagine a very simple circuit with a power supply and a load. We want to obtain the maximum power output to the load. When we do the math, we determine that we achieve the maximum amount of power output to the load, when half of the power created by the power supply is provided to the load. The other half is spent in the power supply.
The graph here shows this power transfer relationship. The red line in that graph shows the amount of power supplied to the load. The number at the bottom showing resistance of the load divided by resistance of the power supply. When those two are equal (represented by 1, or the red vertical line), half the power goes to the load, and half the power goes to the power supply. This is where we achieve maximum power output.
The same is true in society. In both electronics and in society, power is defined as the ability to do something. Although, these formulas are not talking about the ability, but rather they talk about how much is actually done.
For our purposes, we need to think in terms of how much good we can get people to do. How do we get from people the maximum amount of good. If we can do that, we'll solve all of the World's problems.
In terms of how much good a person does, there's two extremes.
A billionaire has thousands or even millions of times more potential to do good than the rest of us. Yet, how much good does a typical billionaire do? Most billionaires provide little or nothing they make to help others. So they are of no use to society. In fact, they mostly harm society.
In the other extreme, some people are so incredibly giving, that they give away almost everything they make. This leaves them with very little left over for themselves, as well as very little ability to make money. As the old saying goes "it takes money to make money", so with almost nothing left over for themselves, such people make far less money than they could be making.
The saying that "it takes money to make money" is very true, not only for companies but for individuals as well. It applies all the way down to nothing. For example, a homeless person has no address, no phone number, no shower, etc. Such a person has all sorts of problems when it comes to finding a job and making money.
Zacchaeus Economics takes into account the old saying "it takes money to make money", and tells us exactly how to do as much good as we can possibly do.
When I first heard of Zacchaeus Economics, I used to laugh and say Christ gave a half price discount.
If you understand what Christ was saying, you'd understand that for you to belong to God, everything you have must also belong to God. So to give half, sounded to me like a half price discount.
At that time, I didn't understand what it was all about. I was thinking in terms of giving half of what he had, as if it was a one time thing. That was not how God intended it to be understood.
It is not about giving half of your wealth, but rather it is about giving half of your profits. Profits being income after expenses. 'Course, that requires that you keep your expenses to a minimum.
It is more something for rich people to do, rather than poor and middle class. A middle class person can very easily justify himself by saying I've got to pay off my mortgage payments on my $300,000 home, and my $30,000 car. Those are not justifications in the eyes of God though. Such justifications could easily make a person give nothing to the poor.
Christ gave a different solution for the poor and middle class, which on its own works to some extent, but doesn't work really well until it is combined into a complete system.
| Act 4:32 | And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. |
The Apostles tried out a portion of the system that Jesus described for us. Only a small portion. Technically, such a system functions to a limited degree on its own, but it is not the complete system which God has planned for us.
The system the Apostles tested, had no real system for establishing infrastructure. It had no system for organizing people into groups, companies, organizations, etc., to get things done.
It was a simple tribe like system, never intended to be used in a large high tech industrial society, without being combined with other systems to correct those problems.
Course, you probably don't quite understand yet what system the Apostles were using. I didn't realize it myself for many years.
| Act 2:44 | And all that believed were together, and had all things common; |
| Act 2:45 | And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. |
To be honest, I didn't quite believe in the system Christ's apostles used either, till I found a solution to some of the problems which I saw with that system. As I find more and more solutions, my confidence increases more and more.
'Course, the most important thing that has kept me working on this for so many years, is the simple belief that God knows best. I'm continually amazed by the incredible wisdom that I find in the Bible, and I never allow myself to assume that I know better than God.
This is the basic trait of humility, which separates a truly great thinker from the rest. Humility greatly expands the sources of information one can acquire, so I personally don't believe it is possible for a person to be a truly great thinker without being humble. A humble person is always open to new information, from every source.
In any advanced system of society, there needs to be a method of controlling the flow of resources, and a system of determining who has what decision making powers. It is necessary to establish a system which allows individuals to form into groups, companies, or organizations and make things happen. It is necessary that those groups have a means to acquire the necessary resources, and be allowed to operate freely without asking permission for every decision made.
God provided those systems for us, all we need to do is properly understand them and implement them. Once we do that, we'll finally have an end to poverty and global warming, and soon afterwords we'll have World Peace. I don't say that because it says so in the Bible, I say so because I understand enough about it to know the potential of it.
The ability of an individual to solve problems and create new technology is severely limited when the individual must get approval before taking action. God's system will allow as much freedom as possible, by greatly reducing the need to get approval.
Individuals must have access to machines and tools, training, assistance from experts, and expense accounts giving them access to whatever resources they may need, with limitations. As much as possible, we must allow individuals to decide for themselves without approval, what actions to take to solve problems and create new technology, and what resources to utilize.
How do we determine how much resources to place under one person's control? Jesus gave us a solution for this. This is determined by Zacchaeus Economics. This makes it so that a person who is very good at making decisions is given ever increasing decision making power, as long as that person continues to make good decisions. At the same time, everyone benefits from those decisions to the maximum extent possible.
In any system of society, there needs to be a way for individuals to accomplish on large projects. Some individuals, who have proven themselves capable, must have enough decision making power and resources at their command, to accomplish large projects.
Without the proper systems in place, a society can not build and operate large manufacturing facilities, or distribute the finished products. These systems are much more important in a high tech age.
Zacchaeus Economics does two things for us. One is to get the most good possible from people and companies. The other is to help establish infrastructure.
Some of you might think that Zacchaeus came up with the idea of Zacchaeus Economics. Perhaps, but more likely it was God who put the idea in his head, and arranged the exact time and place for him to meet Jesus, and for that story to be put into the Bible.
Apparently Christ knew the people standing around were thinking of the "kingdom of God", so Christ continues describing how things are to be in the God's new system of society.
Christ finished telling us about Zacchaeus Economics in Luke 19:10, and he continues from there:
| Luk 19:11 | And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. |
| Luk 19:12 | He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. |
| Luk 19:13 | And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. |
| Luk 19:14 | But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. |
| Luk 19:15 | And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. |
| Luk 19:16 | Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. |
| Luk 19:17 | And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. |
| Luk 19:18 | And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. |
| Luk 19:19 | And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities. |
| Luk 19:20 | And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin: |
| Luk 19:21 | For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow. |
| Luk 19:22 | And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow: |
| Luk 19:23 | Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury? |
| Luk 19:24 | And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds. |
| Luk 19:25 | (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.) |
| Luk 19:26 | For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him. |
| Luk 19:27 | But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me. |
While this may sound completely contrary to the teachings of Jesus, it is actually not. This nobleman did not give those servants money to keep for themselves, nor did he give them in increase of that money. Rather he gave them money similar to expense accounts, where the money still belonged to the nobleman, but his servants had full control over it.
This is showing a system of decision making. It is a system which allows an individual who is good at making decisions to increase in decision making power.
This is an infrastructure thing for society. Something which helps for organizing people into groups, companies, organizations, etc., to get things done.
Notice that what this nobleman did was similar to expense accounts. The idea of expense accounts came to me about 12 years ago, when I realized that if we humans to create a society similar to that used by ants, we'd have an amazing system.
Ants use a system which I sometimes call "collective decision making" and sometimes I call it "individual decision making". It is a system where each individual makes decisions freely, without consulting any higher authority.
'Course, it is more than just ants that use this system. It is found all over in nature. Probably in some degree in all species. The ants though, really bring out the amazing intelligence amplification of it, which has made ants the technological marvels of the insect world with such abilities as agriculture and bridge making.
When I was a kid, I remember scientists telling us that chimpanzees were the most intelligent animals, because they can use very simple crude tools like sticks and stones. In comparison, ants do agriculture, build bridges and rafts, take slaves, kill enormous animals and full grown trees.
The individual ants are very stupid, but the colony as a whole is super intelligent. Imagine what such a society would do for humans.
'Course, at the time I thought I was pretty smart from coming up with such an idea. Then, a few years later, I found this:
| Pro 6:6 | Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: |
| Pro 6:7 | Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, |
| Pro 6:8 | Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. |
Then I realized that I'm not so smart after all. It wasn't really my idea, but rather it was God's idea. I'm just sort of like a puppet.
This an adaptation of a system used in nature and designed by God.
'Course, this is not the only place in the Bible where ants were mentioned. Ants are mentioned in one other place as well.
| Pro 30:24 | There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise: |
| Pro 30:25 | The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer; |
| Pro 30:26 | The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks; |
| Pro 30:27 | The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands; |
| Pro 30:28 | The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces. |
Notice here that not only ants are mentioned as "exceeding wise", but a second example of collective decision making is mentioned as well, and also as "exceeding wise". "The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands."
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