Blessing For Success

Chapter 7

Jesus Lived the Principles

You don't have to go very far in this world before you encounter someone that will insist that Jesus suffered through a miserable and poverty stricken life while he was walked among us on the earth.

Many people have the desire to follow the example of Christ so they have chosen to endure a lifestyle of personal hardship. It is admirable that they would want to walk in His footsteps but I couldn't find scriptural evidence to establish that Jesus was poor. On the contrary, I found that many of the scriptures lead me to believe that the opposite was true.

One myth about Jesus is that his parents, Mary and Joseph, were poor people. The scripture says that Jesus was born in a manger. If you didn't know the rest of the story you might get the impression His parents were homeless and couldn't afford to keep a roof over their head.

The truth is that Joseph had to return to his hometown because the Caesar had called for a mandatory census. It was decreed that the people be counted and submit a tribute to the ruler. There must have been some income on which to base the tax. Everybody went back home in this case.

Mary and Joseph had money to pay for a hotel room that night. The problem was not a lack of funds it was a lack of space. It would be like traveling on the highway in modern times and every hotel and motel had the "no vacancy" sign lit up. They obviously inquired at these establishments or they would not have known that there wasn't a room available. I can't imagine seeing many homeless people in hotel lobbies asking the room rates.

Luke 2:4,5,7 "And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem because (he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn."

After returning from the journey due to the census, Joseph, Mary and Jesus went back to Nazareth. This was the location of their house and Joseph's carpentry business. We know they lived in a house because that is where the scripture says that the wise men saw Jesus as much as two years later.

The wise men came from the east to bring gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh for Jesus. It has been speculated that the value of those gifts was as much as forty million dollars in today's terms. I don't know how you would arrive at that figure. I do know that in those days there was a tendency for people to bring lavish gifts when they were expecting and audience with a king.

The wise men were given an audience with King Herod prior to finding Jesus. This implies that they were prominent individuals. The value of a gift offered tends to be a reflection of the giver of the gift.

The wise men did not endure such a journey to bring Jesus a few souvenir trinkets. They were aware that they were dealing with a child who was born to be a king. They would have acted according to protocol.

Matthew 2:11 "And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshiped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts gold, and frankincense, and myrrh."

Jesus did not suffer through his childhood either. He was the son of a carpenter. Today we might consider carpentry to be a common occupation but in the day when Joseph lived it would have been a highly skilled trade. Joseph must have been doing a good business since people in the region knew both him and his son Jesus. There is not much chance that Jesus and his parents were living in poverty.

Matthew 13:54b-55 "Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?"

When Jesus left home to go into his ministry, he was well prepared. The way the religious leaders of the day would interact with Him reveals that there is very little chance that he was walking around in rags. He was more likely very well dressed. If you pay attention to some of the scriptures, you will notice that the Jewish leaders of the day thought highly enough of him to invite them into their homes. These were higher-class people that usually would not take kindly to spending time with people that they considered sinners.

These leaders can be seen expressing surprise by the fact that Jesus was spending time with people that they considered to be beneath their social standing. If these leaders were looking down on Jesus for being with such people, do you really think they would want to be found associating with Him? That would be like the most popular rich girls in high school spending their time with the least popular girls that wear only second hand clothing. Do you see the point? These religious men chose to be around Jesus based on who they perceived him to be from outward appearances.

Luke 7:36.39 "And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat"…"Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner."

Mark 2:16 "And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he (Jesus) eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?"

Even at the crucifixion, there is evidence to support that Jesus was a well dressed. The soldiers who were posted there were gambling for his clothes. The soldiers would not have been impressed by the death of Jesus. Crucifying people was a routine duty as a Roman soldier. Why would they care about the clothing of a condemned man if they were nothing more than rags? The garments must have had some value for them to bother gambling over them.

Mark 15:24 "And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take."

Jesus Hires Disciples

Jesus must have made quite an impression on the disciples too. I doubt a poor and destitute looking man would have an easy time convincing them to quit their jobs right on the spot and go chasing him around the countryside. This goes double for Judas Iscariot because he was a thief who was motivated by greed and a hunger for power. It is reasonable to imagine that the disciples saw something special about Jesus in a natural context and this is why they were convinced to abandon their former occupations.

Matthew 4:19-20 "And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him."

When reading the gospels concerning the disciples, I am left with the impression that Jesus had money to support them with a salary from the very first day. The Bible does not record anything about Jesus going out to raise funds for His work beforehand. In addition to this, there is no mention of partners offering their financial support for His ministry in the early days. Whatever Jesus offered the disciples so they would follow Him must have already been in place at the time when they were called. Jesus would not have asked the disciples to leave their source of income and come work with Him without a means of providing for them. That would have caused a hardship for their families and I cannot imagine Jesus putting the lives of wives and children at risk.

God's principles of prosperity are based on seeding and harvesting. If Jesus had seeded poverty into the families of the disciples, what do you think he would have ended up with as a harvest for Himself? Jesus told us that those who live by the sword would die by the sword. I don't recall Him living by a different set of rules for Himself.

There is no doubt in my mind that Jesus was faithful in tithes and offerings throughout the course of his lifetime. He planted seed and activated the principles of success the moment he left His heavenly glory and riches behind to come and live as a man.

If giving up all He had was not reason enough to expect a harvest, then the generosity that Jesus showed the needy throughout his ministry would have been. Although the gospels are not specific about it, I estimate that He was not long into the ministry before other people would have offered their own seeds to support the work Jesus was doing. It is clear that they at least showed Him hospitality in making sure He was fed and had places to lodge as He traveled away from His home in Nazareth.

We can find several scriptures that show us that there was money available to take care of different financial issues if it became necessary. Consider the conversation between Jesus and one of the disciples when Jesus gave them instructions to feed a huge crowd of people.

Mark 6:36-37 "Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat. He (Jesus) answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?"

When Jesus told the disciples to feed the people who had followed Him, they did not reply with, "where are we going to get the money" or "we don't have anything to give them." The answer the disciples gave was not something you would expect from people who are living in poverty.

As time goes by an employee tends to become familiar with his employer's routines and methods. In the scriptures above, it appears that the disciple was expecting Jesus to send him for food and asked the question for clarification. By the way the question was worded there is no indication that they didn't have the required money.

It is quite interesting to note how people who lived two thousand years ago thought and acted just like the people in modern day. How very human of them.

The following verses give a wonderful illustration of how commonplace it was to give money to the poor or to take care of any other business from existing funds.

John 13:28-29 "Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him. For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against the feast or, that he should give something to the poor."

Another point that can be extracted from this passage is that Judas was the acting treasurer. Do you know many poverty stricken individuals that require their own personal accountant, bookkeeper or treasurer? Do you really think that Judas would have taken on this duty for nothing?

How Did Jesus Suffer?

The gospels were written by various men with different writing styles. There are instances where they document the same event from a different viewpoint but each gospel also contains its own unique information. In all of these books, I have not been able to find any scriptures to illustrate that Jesus suffered from poverty.

Jesus spent much of the time traveling through the country because of His ministry. He can also be seen teaching in a synagogue or the temple. When he took time to rest and recuperate, we see him spending time fellowshipping at the homes of the many people that knew Him. The people around Jesus were happy to offer Him a home-cooked meal and a place to stay when He was away from home.

The only time we read about Jesus going hungry is during the forty day fast after He was baptized by John in the Jordan. Fasting has nothing to do with being rich or poor. This act must be done on a voluntary basis.

Jesus was able to provide for His own accommodation but there were times when He would need to get away from the crowd that tended to mob Him wherever He went. We can draw a parallel with a modern day celebrity. The fans and media are constantly chasing famous people around.

Jesus would often find a secluded place where he could avoid the masses. We have to remember that Jesus was a man and He had to endure the pressures and fatigue like any other person. Consider what you would do if you were a famous celebrity in those days. Do you think there is a chance that you might duck into the trees or climb up a mountain to get some peace away from it all? I know I would.

Matthew 14:22-23 "And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away. And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone."

Some people use a single quote from Jesus to persuade us that He wandered around like a homeless nomad. This is not a reasonable notion. This scripture is not a description of an actual event that the writer witnessed. This is something that Jesus said as a way of describing what life would be like for people who made the choice to come with Him.

Wherever you have a Bible that shows the words of Jesus printed in red ink, this statement will be red.

Matthew 8:20 (Luke 9:58) "And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head."

By this point, we should understand that Christ was certainly not poor before He came to earth to live as a man. The family that Jesus was born to and who were responsible for raising Him was not underprivileged. There is no reference to Him living in poverty in His early adulthood or during His ministry years. So how or when did Jesus suffer?

Jesus certainly suffered from the persecution of those who opposed Him during His time on earth but that really had no bearing on what his financial situation was like. Both rich and poor Christians alike are still persecuted today when they take a serious stand to live by the Word of God.

Jesus suffered most when He was crucified and died in order that we would not have to face the punishment for all the wrong we have done in our own lives. This act could be the ultimate in seeding and harvesting. By seeding his own life, Jesus will harvest countless abundant lives for the people that accept Him. Jesus was an excellent example of how to apply God's principles for success in every area of our lives.

In the Bible, we can see it written repeatedly that God promises abundance to His people if they will just follow the proper steps for achieving success in their lives. It comes as no surprise that Jesus lived the principles.

Don't get sidetracked by the notion that what Jesus did will only bring a rich and abundant life in eternity with God. That's just a clever ruse of Satan to delay facing God as long as he possibly can. He wants to keep money out of the hands of Christian people that intend to use it to spread the gospel.

Matthew 24:14 "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations and then shall the end come."

It may still require billions of dollars to fund the campaigns that will ensure that the whole world is given an opportunity to hear the gospel. Satan knows that as long as he has good Christian people convinced that they should avoid wealth he has bought himself more time.

2 Corinthians 8:9,11,14 "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich … NOW therefore perform the doing of it… so there may be a performance also out of that WHICH YE HAVE … that NOW at THIS TIME your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality:"

The scriptural evidence that God wants to prosper His people is significant. The portion of scripture above reveals that having abundance is for the present time in this life. Why not be willing to accept everything that God wants to give you. You are entitled to it!

It's time for the church to remove the weapon of Christian "poverty" from the devil's arsenal. Remember, being prosperous is not about what wealth can do for you it's about what you can do for God. Apply God's principles for success in your life, take back what the enemy has stolen from you and begin to make a difference in the world starting from today.

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