The Tale of the Two Grocers

“You must have accurate and honest weights and measures, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you” (Deut 25:15).

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A few hundred years ago there were two Christian grocers in London. One of them said to the other, “You know, as Christians, we’re supposed to have honest scales. It says so in the Bible. So how should we do that?”

“Well, I’ll tell you what, I’ll come and check your scales on Wednesdays to make sure they’re accurate and you come on Sundays and check mine. We’ll make sure they’re accurate.”

And the two grocers went on to develop a list of twelve principles that they felt should guide the way they were to do business.

People preferred to buy from them because they knew they would get a good product, at a fair price, with honest scales. Other grocers who were Christians decided to join in and they formed an association of Christian grocers. In those days it wasn’t called exactly that but was actually called the Most Worshipful Company of Livery Merchants. The name is very odd and peculiarly British.

This group led to other industries adopting a similar idealism known as ‘Livery Companies’ in the City of London. There are now 300 companies in the City of London registered as Livery Companies. The latest one was the Most Worshipful Company of Information Technologists. 

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Everybody who joins one of the companies in the City of London, even today, receives a list of the principles they have to agree to. The list contains 36 biblical principles to guide your life. And they call the book, Some Rules for the Conduct of Life to Which Are Added A Few Cautions.

The rulers of the nation in Britain began to see the effect of these companies and said “What we need to do is make it a law for the whole nation. So instead of just these grocers having their honest scales, every scale in Britain needs to weigh accurately.” 

The government Weights and Measures Department, which is in existence today, can trace its history back to the day when these two grocers decided to keep themselves accountable for biblical principles.”*

Are you operating based on honest weights and measures? 

* The original article was written by Mark Markiewicz and provided to Os Hillman 2004, appearing as a TGIF (Today God is First) devotional message published May 12 2011. Copyrighted Os Hillman, Marketplace Leaders.