Dear all at IPC,

Where did Jesus sleep? Where did he get his meals?

Jesus did not have a house of his own, and during his three years of public ministry, he didn’t earn any money.

He and his disciples were supported by the kindness of some generous women. (Luke 8:1-3)

‘Foxes have holes and birds have nests,’ but the Lord Jesus didn’t even have a place where he could lay his tired head at night (Mat 8:20, Luke 9:58). Sometimes he ate and slept outdoors under the stars with just a coat for a covering. At other times he bunked down – sofa surfed – at friends. There were certain families like Mary, Martha and Lazarus where he was always welcome.

The observation at the end of chapter seven of John’s gospel and the opening verse of chapter eight provide some insight. ‘Then each went to his own home. But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.’ (Jn.7:53 & 8:1) He had no home. Jesus never made a will, he had no investments. He asked a woman would she give him a drink of water. When he was hungry, the devil came to him and tempted him to turn stones into bread. When he wanted to give an illustration about money, he didn’t have a coin and had to ask for one. It doesn’t seem that he had any earthly possessions.

The point I am making is that Jesus became poor. 

The theologian John Murray wrote a beautiful paragraph on this: 

“When he became a man, he did not cease to be rich in his divine being, relations, and possessions. He did not become poor by ceasing to be what he was, but he became poor by becoming what he was not. He became poor by addition, not by subtraction. He added manhood to his immutable and eternal Godhood. He added to his person real human nature with all its sinless properties and necessary infirmities. He was made in the likeness of men.”(Collected Shorter Writings, J Murray, Volume 3, “The Riches and Poverty of Christ,” p.231, Banner of Truth)

He who was rich became poor so that we might become rich. Poverty for him means riches for us. There is a wealth of theology behind these words

The immediate application of this is that Paul in 2 Corinthians 8:7-9 says the Corinthians (and we) would excel by the gift of giving. He is addressing their meanness and tight fistedness. We would do best if we model our generosity on the grace of the Lord Jesus. He shows us what it is to sit lightly with earthly possessions.

In truth, I have never been poor. I can’t remember not knowing where the next meal will come from. I’ve never had a time when I feared I’d be turned out of our house that day. In the kindness of God, I have led a very privileged life. I’ve known the security of having enough for the foreseeable future.

We live in an aspirational city with people desperate to make it in all sorts of ways. The Christian world is full of those who have a vision for the good life as they decry health, wealth and prosperity. But the vision for life is basically those three things. Of course there is a right prosperity that knowing Christ brings – a Psalm 1 kind of prosperity. 

What has struck me however, is that for the Lord Jesus, the prosperity that he knew looks very different to what we often envisage. I don’t think he calls us to emulate him being as materially poor as he was in every case, but we are called to have the same mind as Christ Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is the dynamic of Christian living.

I think it helps us to remember that Proverbs gives us a number of warnings against behaviour that can lead to poverty, but it does not teach that poverty is always a disgrace. Poverty is only wrong when it is the result of sinful conduct. The Lord Jesus gives dignity to poverty. 

If you find yourself struggling financially not knowing what the future holds, our Saviour knows what it is to live by his own words: ‘do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?’….therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6)

He calls those of us who are wealthy to use our wealth for the good of others. We are to understand the power of money both for good and evil, and put it to work. We need to recognise the limitations of money of what it is able to do and what it cannot do.

The Scriptures instruct us to remember the poor. Almost all the references in the bible are to those of the poor who are part of the Church. Our brothers and sisters in Christ. That is not to say we don’t care for the poor outside the church as Christians are enjoined to do good to all people. But the priority is, ‘especially to those who are of the household of faith,’ Gal. 6:10.

We also need to remember that the Lord Jesus is no longer poor. He is ascended and exalted and reigning. He occupies a place of supreme glory and divine abundance. All things have been put under his feet. In glory, the apostle John recounts, ‘Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice,

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honour and glory and blessing!”’ Revelation 5:12.

May God give us a right view of Jesus’ poverty so that we might have a right view of our wealth.

Your Minister and friend