paradidomi (Greek) to-beyond-give (2)

Most of us, when faced with others over whom we have little authority, will try persuasion. But inevitably we often have to say, in all aspects of our lives, “Have your own way.” We are forced to paradidomi – to-beyond-give, to give-over – even our loved ones. We leave them to learn by experience.

Big question: in what ways does God give over – “beyond-give” – folk to the consequences that flow from their decisions? Take a second deep breath.

Newspapers this week reported that China State Reserves Bureau has purchased a huge stock – 30,000 tons – of nickel. That represents about one-sixth of the stocks in London Metal Exchange warehouses. Traders said the SRB’s purchases may be interpreted as a bullish sign that China has confidence in its future consumption.

Consumption? Confidence in consumption? China has confidence in its future consumption......

Apparently China is also looking to purchase substantial tranches of world warehoused copper and aluminium – to add to its present stocks.

China is also buying into mines, buying into African resources, buying into many different natural resource supplies.

Interestingly, China’s nickel purchases – announced this week – took place some months ago but were not made public. And, asked to comment, China refused to do so. China’s stocking of its huge “deep-freezers” is confidential.

But how can China afford to buy all this? The answer is, also, consumption.

Folk in the US and Europe – including me – have been “consuming” (buying) Chinese, unwittingly maybe, as though tomorrow would never come.  How often when examining purchases we’ve all seen “Made in China”.... The dollars, Euros and pounds received by Chinese suppliers have been banked. Chinese banks, afloat on a sea of foreign currency, have invested that foreign currency in US dollar, Euro and Sterling bonds – especially US dollars.

In that way China’s competitive foreign exchange rate has remained competitive – and Western-world consumers have consumed more and more China-produced goods. The biggest lender to the USA is now China.

China is now using those dollars, Euros and pounds to purchase global resources. China would prefer this to be covert but now that it has been forced to disclose its nickel purchases, folk are saying that the signal is that China is confident in future consumption...... its own and ours.

Therefore God paradidomi’d them …. Therefore God beyond-gave them, gave them over to the consequences of their desires and actions.

What are the consequences of consumption?

How interesting that paradidomi is used by all four biographers of Jesus in connection with his cross. Here’s Mark’s use of the word…

Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to paradidomi him to them. And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to paradidomi him.

Jesus was paradidomi’d – beyond-given – by the man Judas (for money) and by the chief priests (for continued power and prosperity) and by Roman authority (for peaceful consumption to continue).

Why use this word “paradidomi”? What does it mean to use it like that?

Human beings have been beyond-given to the consequences of their own choice - to live primarily to consume. Jesus was beyond-given over to those same consequences, by Judas, by religious chief priests and by Roman authority. He dies through their desire to consume.

Today, is Jesus beyond-given – given over – by folk who don’t want to stop consuming? He dies to save them from consumption – their own and their own consumption by others.