ListenListen with webReaderFocus

Getting Started

People often think the Bible does not provide guidance for today’s complicated business world, but that is not true. The issue of dishonest merchants is much older than the study of marketing, and was a present challenge in Jesus’ day, and we can see that he spoke to it.

Upon successful completion of this discussion, you will be able to:

• Develop a biblical framework to resolve ethical dilemmas in marketing strategies and tactics.

Resources

• Bible (New International Version)

Background Information

Many of the staples in Jesus’ time (grains, flour, fruits, fish, meat) were sold by the pound, and the merchants owned their own scales. These scales were not accurate so the buyer paying for a pound of fish might get only 14 or 15 ounces. Jesus was incensed by what he saw in the temple which was supposed to be a place of worship but had become a marketplace. Seeing the deceptions, He called out merchants who were for all practical purposes lying to and stealing from their customers.

Instructions

1. Review the rubric to make sure you understand the criteria for earning your grade.
2. Read Matthew 21:12-13 in the Bible.
3. From this account in Matthew, which was also recorded in Luke 19 and Mark 11, and in Jeremiah 7, we see merchants who were unscrupulous in their dealings through inaccurate scales.
   1. You have identified a company or industry of interest during your degree program. Please consider those dishonest tactics as they relate to your company or industry of interest as you answer the following questions in 150-250 words.
   2. Where do we see the possibility of similar questionable tactics in your company or industry of interest?