Was Jesus really poor?

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Was Jesus really poor?

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9 NIV).

Does this Scripture create a picture of Jesus as a poor, beggarly preacher? Some do say that Jesus became literally poor [by 'poor' they mean impoverished] so that through his poverty the Christian might become literally rich [by 'rich' they mean wealthy]. The question is, Was Jesus really impoverished? Let's put a magnifying glass on the Scriptures to investigate and to discover the intricate realities of the word. Come along with me!

Etymology

The etymology of biblical words is so important as it helps to unravel the true meanings of words whose meanings have changed over time. Etymology is the study of root words. 

In the key text above, Paul uses the word "plousios" to describe the state of Jesus before his incarnation. It is an adjective which literally means "wealthy, abounding in material resources". So, Jesus abounded in material resources before his incarnation. Is that true? Well, let's go on. Then describing his state after incarnation, he used the verb "ptocheuo" which literally means "to be a beggar, to be reduced to beggary". Did Jesus become so impoverished as to beg for food to eat, or clothes to wear, or a place to lay his head? 

Since he used these words while speaking within the context of giving, one would quickly conclude that the apostle must be saying that Jesus was literally "plousios" before his incarnation, that is, abounding in material resources, but he became literally "ptocheuo" after his incarnation, that is, reduced to beggary. Let me state this plainly: the apostle was not saying that Jesus abounded in material resources before his incarnation or that he became reduced to beggary after his incarnation. Jesus being "plousios" is not to be understood in the literal sense as there are no such materials as gold, jasper, emerald or amethyst in heaven. He did not become "ptocheuo" in the literal sense as the bible clearly shows that he had everything that he needed in this life.   

The bible's usage of precious stones and minerals to describe heaven's radiance and splendour is not to be understood in the literal sense. The prophets used the best words they could find in human language to describe as closely as possible what they had never seen, heard, smelt, felt or handled before. 

Jesus was rich in what? Diamond? Gold? Silver? Crude oil? Or natural gas? These minerals and substances are not needed eternally so they do not exist in heaven. The richness of Jesus can never be perfectly exposed using any human language on earth. 

Scripture is clear that the Word was with God and the Word was God. Through him all things were made, the material things on earth, the immaterial things in heaven. Thus, the Word is the eternal, all-wise God. The Word became flesh, and dwelt among men. Thus, the Word became incarnate, putting on flesh over his deity. As God, he is all-sufficient, but as flesh, he became subservient, lacking, needful and dependent on the Father.

Paul refers to his physical insufficiency and dependency in Philippians 2:8 when he says, "And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!" Obedient here implies subservient, taking instruction from a superior, here referring to the Father. Therefore, in his eternal identity, the Word is equal with God, but in his physical or human form, the Father is greater than he. 

In what sense then was Jesus "plousios" and in what sense did he become "ptocheuo"? In the metaphorical sense, of course. Metaphorically, Jesus was rich, thus, all-sufficient in the divine glory and virtues, and in eternal possessions before his incarnation, but he became lacking, needful and dependent on the Father for divine glory and virtues and eternal possessions after his incarnation. So then, he became reduced to beggary in the sense that he took on a human form. His poverty was that he became human, not that he lacked food to eat, clothes to wear or a place to lay his head. 

Jesus gladly accepted to become physically destitute, emptying himself of the riches of his infinite glory and magnificent power so that you, the Christian, might become spiritually sufficient through his grace. As a result of his physical deprivation, his subservience and his dependency on the Father, Jesus prayed to the Father to receive from him divine enablement to do the good works that he was called to do on earth. Jesus' poverty, therefore, was not material but physical.

A survey of Jesus' influence and affluence in the New Testament

Jesus was born to a less privileged couple but by age thirty three he had risen to prominence in Israel. He began his ministry at the age of thirty years. Within a period of three years he had become, probably, the most influential leader in Israel. He was known throughout Israel and some regions of the Roman empire like Syria, Jordan and Greece. 

He was invited by influential leaders to dinner. Herod, the then king of Jerusalem, even craved to meet him. 

He fed at least five thousand men in one meeting, and at least four thousand men in another meeting. 

He had partners who supported him out of their own means, most of whom were women, some of whom were wives of prominent leaders in Israel. 

Even in his death, he was buried in a private tomb owned by Joseph of Arimathaea, an influential and a wealthy leader of the Jews, and, a secret disciple. 

All of these accounts amount to one conclusion. Jesus couldn't be impoverished. How can the giver of food beg for food to eat? Is it possible for someone who is often invited by prominent leaders to dinner to beg for food to eat, or clothes to wear, or a place to lay his head? Certainly no! He was born into a less privileged home but he ended up a great, influential, global and wealthy leader. 

The bible is like a pile of stones. To discover what's inside the pile, you have to patiently remove the stones one after the other. When doing bible study, you have to bear in mind that Scripture is heaped upon Scripture, and Scripture interprets Scripture to give full light to a divine message. So then, you owe it a duty to patiently investigate the pile of Scriptures that pertain to a subject matter before you can fully well unravel the meaning of a divine message in the bible. 

"If Jesus became a great, influential, global and wealthy leader as you claim, why aren't his possessions enlisted in the New Testament?" This is simple to answer. He chose to live a modest life rather than a lavish life. 

What does it mean for Jesus to be modest?

When we say that Jesus was modest or lived a modest life, we do not mean that he appeared beggarly. Penury and beggary are not signs of modesty but of lack and misery. 

Jesus was modest means that he did not exhibit a braggadocious attitude, thus being showy, flashy or flamboyant with materials of this world. 

Jesus was modest means that he lived a moderate life, not an average life. 

Jesus was modest means that he was not prodigal, but rather, frugal.

Jesus was modest means that he was not a spendthrift, but rather, thrifty with money. 

Jesus was modest means that he was more of a sharer than a storer.

Jesus was modest means that he cared about other people's well-being as much as he cared about his own.

Jesus was modest means that he was not selfish or self-seeking as lavish people are. 

In my view, Jesus became an influential leader capable of being a mogul. Rather than be lavish, he was modest in speech, behaviour and appearance, thus, sharing his wealth to those who had nothing as he understood that his life did not depend on materials of this world but on God. 

I dare to say that Jesus was a great, influential, global and wealthy leader, but for your sake, and to set the best example for you, he chose to live a modest life instead of a lavish life. 

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