Christ's Miraculous Poverty
When I think of Jesus a few visual images come to mind: Christ on the cross, Christ ascending to heaven, Christ smiling at that adorable little child, calling Peter Satan (powerful and comedic to a degree), or even the tacky thumbs up Jesus. The part I often forget, probably by subconscious choice, is poor Jesus. Not the "I take pitty on you" poor, but the "I so 'po' I can't afford the 'or'" kind of poor.
"...yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich." Last time I checked, churches were still eager to receive from congregations that were not filled with wealthy individuals. It is safe to assume that Jesus was not talking about financial abundance; although some would try to convince you that Christ died so that you could not only go to heaven and drive a Mercedes. Think of all the suicides committed in multi-million dollar houses due to depression, loneliness, and hopelessness. In actuality, Jesus was talking about more than a mere heavenly inheritance.
Although he experienced much more pain and sorrow than probably anyone reading these words, Paul talked often about joy and peace. I can only imagine that he often experience the kind of joy and peace that I have only experienced for a few moments during worship or retreats when my cares dissolve into nothing and I can feel that I am under the care of my great and mighty, loving Father. When one is united with their passion in life, perhaps this can also describe great richness. After months of crying a terminal illness is replaced by a clean bill of health; that is richness.
Although these scenarios allow us to redefine richness into more than paper and coins, there is more to 2 Cor 8:9 than our enjoyment. Christ's financial poverty, although intentional and useful, is not what He is referring to in this scripture. When God Almighty chose to become human, He chose to spend time in a frail and unpowerful body. What is even more amazing is that He gave up time with the Father in exchange for a life in a fallen world with not only angels who had rejected Him, but also His beloved creation who rebelled against Him and would ultimately kill Him. Imagine giving up the one you cherish spending time with the most in order to live amongst your enemy. By giving up nearly all that He possessed as valuably, both physical and spiritual, He took on the ultimate form of poverty.
Besides a greater understanding of our God's sacrifice for us, Paul adds that Christ's poverty has made us rich. As our fallen soldiers well know, freedom comes at a price. Jesus sacrifices so that we can receive freedom from sin, freedom from hell, freedom from the hopeless world, freedom from a life without meaning, and even the freedom to experience God in all of His wonder which is beyond our earthy understanding. On earth, we may see momentary glimpses of a fraction of His glory and in the appointed time, we will see God's full awesomeness.
How would our lives we shaken if we emulated Christ's poverty?
Created about 1 year ago
