Articles
How Jesus Lived
In our modern view of religion, we sometimes only see Jesus presented as the glorified and resurrected Lord who conquered every enemy, even the enemy of death. (Ephesians 1:20-22) While this is true of His current state, we sometimes forget that the entirety of His life lived on earth was quite the opposite. From a physical perspective, He was the Son of a working carpenter who had no great wealth or position. (Luke 2:1-7) The ignoble quality of His birth signaled a character of the rest of His life that is not always taken into account.
Jesus was homeless. At no point during Jesus’ ministry does He own a home, or have any place He could call His own. This was a challenge for some who would follow Him. “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air [have] nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” (Luke 9:57-58) What a shocking statement, that a rabbi of His notoriety would not have for Himself a comfortable house complete with an impressive library and quiet study. Yet, Jesus gave Himself to stay with others, relying on their faith and generosity as He taught and demonstrated His true identity as the Messiah.
Jesus was penniless. Jesus himself never amassed any great wealth or reserves from which to draw during His ministry. When asked to pay a temple tax, Jesus used a miracle to pay for Himself and Peter. (Matthew 17:24-27) The little bit of money that His disciples had to cover basic needs was overseen by an embezzling thief. (John 12:4-6) When Jesus gave His disciples authority to go and preach on His behalf, He did not even provide them with traveling expenses. (Matthew 10:9-10) How can a Man of God be so unwise as to not use the wealth of the world to His advantage? He was teaching His disciples by example the things He had said in words. (Matthew 6:11, 25-33)
Jesus was friendless. At least He had no friends who mattered in the flesh. He had no political clout when the Jewish leadership seized Him and brought Him to Pilate. He had no one to intervene and convince Herod that He should be released. “Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing [Him,] for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God.” (John 12:42-43) The only followers He had of any repute appeared after He was already dead, although they provided Him with an honor He almost never saw in life. (Matthew 27:57-61; John 19:38-42)
What can change when we remember that Jesus lived much lower than what we consider even “lower middle class?” Perhaps we can see value in the despised. (James 2:1-13) Perhaps we can seek to help others with the limited means that we have. (I John 3:16-18) Perhaps we can see Jesus in those who need the most help. (Matthew 25:31-46)
