Jesus saves but Moses invests.

    • quietdandelion said:
    There is an old chestnut, "Jesus saves, but Moses invest."

    What does it mean? Thanks.
    Click to expand...
    It may be an old chestnut, but I've never heard it.
    "Jesus saves" refers to salvation of a person by the son of God, but "saves" can also refer to putting away money in a bank for future use. To "invest" is to put money in stocks, bonds, real estate, hoping that it will increase in value. Exactly how Moses figures, I'm not sure.
     
    I have heard this saying before:

    Jesus Saves, Moses Invests, But only Buddha pays Dividends.

    I still don't understand the Moses part, but hopefully this can shed some light on it.
     
    There are many examples of this on the net, Dandelion.

    I have never heard it, but I think it is Jewish humour.

    Since Jews don't believe that Jesus is the Saviour, and since most Jews like to make money (no offence - don't we all?) they are thinking of Moses' rise to fame and wealth. After all, the baby Moses was cast away in a basket on the river and was adopted by a pharoah's princess daughter. He started out in poverty and rose to great heights in Egypt. He was called "The Father of all the Prophets."

    This is in no way meant to be offensive. I'm trying to explain what it means.

    I don't think I've made a very good job of it.

    Perhaps a Jewish person will reply.

    LRV
     
    If the first part about Jesus is a double-entendre mixing religion and finances, it makes sense that the second part about Moses should also be a double entendre along the same lines. Just limiting the joke to usurious practices among the Jews isn't funny nor creative. Give whoever came up with the joke credit that they perceived a pattern and imitated it.
     
    MNL235 said:
    If the first part about Jesus is a double-entendre mixing religion and finances, it makes sense that the second part about Moses should also be a double entendre along the same lines. Just limiting the joke to usurious practices among the Jews isn't funny nor creative. Give whoever came up with the joke credit that they perceived a pattern and imitated it.
    Click to expand...
    The question was about explaining the joke, not eliciting opinions about its humor.
     
    In the joke, Moses represents Jews and "investing" represents moneylending. Jews are associated with moneylending because in Europe during the middle ages. much of the moneylending was done by Jews, who were a minority in these Christian countries.

    In some area of Europe, the Christian church forbid moneylending by Christians (though that rule was sometimes ignored). You could loan money or goods to a friend, but you could not charge interest. Charging interest was "usury".
     
    I have to disagree. It has nothing to do with usury. There's nothing wrong with investing. If you do it smartly, in a non-risky way, it's smarter than just saving. The joke isn't making fun of Jews. It's making fun of fools who think that they are saving Jews from Hell, because you have to believe what they believe, or else.

    Reply


    David Rosoff
    1h ago
     
    This is not "making fun of" Jews or some group of people who is "saving Jews from Hell" (if such a group even exists). This is not making fun of any religion or group of people. This joke is a pun: a play on alternate meanings of a word.

    There is a common slogan "Jesus saves". Here the word "saves" is not about "saving" money in a bank. But another meaning of "he saves" is "he regularly deposits part of his income in a bank". Interpreting "saves" with a different meaning is the joke.

    "Jesus saves" is a Christian quote. No other religion says that (or believes that). Mentioning Moses (Jews) and the word "investing" is a quick way to point out the 2d meaning of "saves", nothing more.

    David R13 said:
    It has nothing to do with usury. There's nothing wrong with investing. If you do it smartly, in a non-risky way, it's smarter than just saving.
    Click to expand...
    I agree -- it has nothing to do with the modern meaning of the word "usury". And nobody said "there is something wrong with investing".

    Sorry if I confused things by talking about religious practices in the middle ages. That comment was off-topic.
     
    dojibear said:
    This is not "making fun of" Jews or some group of people who is "saving Jews from Hell" (if such a group even exists). This is not making fun of any religion or group of people. This joke is a pun: a play on alternate meanings of a word.

    There is a common slogan "Jesus saves". Here the word "saves" is not about "saving" money in a bank. But another meaning of "he saves" is "he regularly deposits part of his income in a bank". Interpreting "saves" with a different meaning is the joke.

    "Jesus saves" is a Christian quote. No other religion says that (or believes that). Mentioning Moses (Jews) and the word "investing" is a quick way to point out the 2d meaning of "saves", nothing more.
    Click to expand...
    :thumbsup:
     
    It's been around since before internet memes. I first saw this joke in 1991 on a xeroxed flyer posted on a transit shelter outside a synagogue in Brookline, MA where people sometimes posted or left Christian proselytizing materials. I assumed it was making a joke out of all the Jesus promotion there, nothing too deep.
     
    You must log in or register to reply here.
    Back
    Top