The modest life of Jesus vs the lavish life of Solomon: your preference

Sage Broadcast

The modest life of Jesus vs the lavish life of Solomon: your preference

Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these (Matthew 6:29 NIV).

Typical of the Jewish leaders, was, a lavish lifestyle. To them, having plenty substances was an indication of the blessings of the Lord. Plenty cattle, plenty sheep, plenty oxen; plenty food crops; vast plots of land, stupendous buildings; plenty wives, plenty children, large family size; these things meant a great deal to the Jews as they were to them a sign of divine blessings. 

Let's take a look at how Bible reveals the lavish lifestyle of the Jewish leaders.

Abraham

So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him. Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold (Genesis 13:1‭-‬2 NIV).

Isaac

Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the Lord blessed him (Genesis 26:12 NIV).

Jacob

I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, male and female servants. Now I am sending this message to my Lord, that I may find favor in your eyes’ ” (Genesis 32:5 NIV).

Job

The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. And he also had seven sons and three daughters (Job 42:12‭-‬13 NIV).

These are few examples that help you to see that, to the Jews, plenty substances indicate divine blessings from the Lord.

Solomon

Perhaps, the same interpretation of divine blessings influenced king Solomon to marry 300 wives and have for himself 700 concubines to raise plenty children for God, since he had inestimable riches. He exemplifies the lavish lifestyle typical of the Jewish leaders. 

Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ was the exact opposite of the Jewish leaders. Although he was a very influential leader, very popular and highly esteemed among even the religious gurus of the day, he lived a modest life. He was a simple and contentful leader, a serious benevolent giver at that. 

When Jesus came, he transformed the Jewish society from a customary lavish lifestyle that secludes the poor to a modest lifestyle that includes the poor. He didn't own a single ship although he preached to large crowds of people in a ship. He didn't put up a stupendous house for himself and his family although he was invited by rich and influential leaders to dine with them in their large houses. He didn't marry a wife, neither did he raise a single child although he worked with women and loved little children. 

What is the sense in Jesus' modest behaviour? 

Today, there's contention in the body of Christ as to whether Tongues speaking is the exclusive sign of the Holy Spirit baptism or not. Is it? Certainly no! It is one of the many signs but not the exclusive sign. Similarly, Jesus demonstrated to the world that having plenty substances isn't the exclusive sign of divine blessings. It is indeed a sign of divine blessings but not the exclusive sign. The truly rich people, like Jesus, have a sense of modesty. They live a modest life so that many more people will be blessed by their wealth. 

The early church

The early church clearly understood Jesus and embraced his sense of modesty. The apostles trained the believers to eschew the customary lavish lifestyle of the Jews and to live the modest lifestyle of Jesus. The proof of such training is that the wealthy leaders in the early church sold their possessions and gave the proceeds to the apostles to be distributed to members of the spiritual family who had nothing. 

The church today

Today, the church seems to have gone back to embrace the lavish lifestyle of the Jews. Some church leaders today own three to four aircrafts. Others own one to two, plus a fleet of cars. Still others own several real properties which they got as reward for their faithfulness to the Lord. 

Is there anything wrong with owning a fleet of cars?

If there were no member of the spiritual family who comes to church hungry and walks around in tarted clothes, there should be nothing wrong with owning a fleet of cars. But where a member of the spiritual family comes to church hungry and walks around in tarted clothes, there's everything wrong with owning a fleet of cars. 

What does Scripture not say?

Scripture does not say that God frowns on prosperity and financial abundance, in fact, he supplies grace for it. However, Scripture makes it clear that God is unhappy when the people whom he has blessed so much become materialistic and live a lavish lifestyle at the expense of the needy. 

Peter, a great prosperity teacher, never lived a lavish lifestyle at the expense of the needy. Paul, another great prosperity teacher, also never lived a lavish lifestyle at the expense of the needy. So who's your example of living a lavish lifestyle at the expense of the needy?

Implication of poverty 

Poverty, therefore, is "a call to action - for the poor and the wealthy alike - a call to change the world so that many more may have enough to eat, adequate shelter, access to education and health, protection from violence, and a voice in what happens in their communities."

The way forward 

To conclude today's message, I urge every child of light to demonstrate the modest lifestyle of Jesus in their sphere of contact. This is the cleverest way to contribute to social transformation geared towards building many more prosperous societies in the world, especially in Africa. 

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