October 18
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9
One of the questions we might ask about Jesus is how rich or poor He was in natural terms. He certainly came from a poor family that could only offer doves for an offering – Luke 2:24. But are we right in thinking He was poor? A very few preachers have suggested He was well off, well provided for by wealthy individuals – Luke 8:3, as evidenced by His seamless robe, and His rock-hewn tomb. But was He a rich man? The answer is that Jesus was completely indifferent to money and to the accumulation of wealth and goods. This is the mentality neither of a rich man nor a poor man. It is the mentality of a Son. Jesus didn’t have stashes of money; He had a Father. When Father said: “Son, tonight you skip food and sleep under a hedge”, He was content with that. When Father said: “Tonight you eat at Martha’s table and spend the night under Lazarus’ roof in a nice warm bed”, He was content. The fact of Father in His life meant that He knew He would never lack anything when He needed it. It produced a tranquillity and contentment, knowing that what Father had decreed was not merely good, it was wonderful. Jesus was separated from His Father at the cross – that is grinding poverty. He gives us His Father through His blood and the Spirit of adoption – that is riches untold.
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