Jesus Christ and the Poor
Just for your thoughts:
Jesus Christ and the Poor
When a woman conceives and gives birth to a male child, she will be ceremonially unclean for seven days.
On the eighth day, the flesh of the child’s foreskin must be circumcised.
After the days of her purification are completed, she must bring a one-year-old lamb for a burnt offering, and either a young pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering.
If she cannot afford a lamb, she may bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons — one for the burnt offering and the other for the sin offering.
(Leviticus 12:4–8)
The Lord gave this exemption as a command, keeping the poor in mind.
When the Son of God, who created the world, was born in Mary’s womb, Mary also brought only the two young pigeons permitted for the poor.
From this, we can understand that Jesus Christ was born into a very poor family.
He was born poor, lived poor, and died poor. He never even kept the ministry money in His own hands, but entrusted it to Judas, who was appointed to manage it.
He never identified Himself with the wealthy.
He did not include rich people among His disciples.
He never praised the rich.
He never gave high positions to the wealthy.
This is the finest example Jesus Christ has set for His children.
There is nothing wrong in being born rich.
There is nothing wrong in earning wealth.
But our thinking must reflect simplicity.
Our perspective toward the poor must change.
The idea that the poor are people who are not blessed by the Lord must be removed.
Our view about the homeless or those without two-wheelers or four-wheelers must change.
What matters most is how we treat the poor — in our approach, in our actions, in the responsibilities we give them, in our relationships, and in the help we extend.
If heaven is filled with more poor people, there is nothing surprising about it.
— Ezekiel Shanmugavel