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RCCG Miracle Land Dundalk
Wednesday, May 02 2018

Contributor: Martins Olubiyi

Introduction

In our past studies, we have established the fact that Jesus became poor when He took our sin on the cross. Similarly, Jesus was not poor and homeless, He worked in the miraculous provision. He is the King of all kings and He was honoured with treasures. By His lifestyle on earth, He refused to be intimidated about His status as He distinguished Himself from the poor.

Aim: The aim of this study is to examine the distinction made by our Lord on His personality as regard to being poor. We shall endeavour to find out through the knowledge of the scripture, what we can learn from this revelation from the Lord when it comes to being poor.

Text: John 12: 1-8 (NIV).

There was a time, the Lord Jesus visited the home of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary in Bethany. Jesus said to the guests at the supper,

“You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me” (John 12: 8 NIV).

We should notice that Jesus didn’t call Himself poor. He made definite distinction between the poor and Himself.

It has been observed that some people have mistakenly thought that this statement implied that Jesus was saying that helping the poor is unimportant. However, the Old Testament reference He was quoting strongly indicates that this is not what Jesus meant.

Deuteronomy 15: 11 says “There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore, I command you to be openhanded towards your brothers and towards the poor and needy in your land” (NIV).

In other words, Jesus was saying, “There will always be poor people who need help, and you should help them as much as you can. But I’m only going to be here a very short time, and this woman [who anointed His feet with expensive ointment] took advantage of a very limited opportunity. You will always have opportunities to help the poor, but I won’t be here very much longer”.

We need to understand that not once did Jesus identify Himself as one of the poor. He did not say, “There will always be poor people like Me.” Rather, He made a definite distinction between the poor and Himself.

 

Expensive Perfume

Our text indicate that Jesus wasn’t poor in the fact He was not the least bothered when perfume worth a year’s salary was used to anoint His feet.

Let’s examine this story as it is written in John’s gospel.

“Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honour. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with Him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume, she poured it on Jesus’s feet and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray Him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? IT WAS WORTH A YEAR’S WAGES”. He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief, as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.” John 12: 1-8 (NIV)

Facts

King’s mentality: Jesus as King of kings - 1Tim 6: 15; Rev 1:5; Rev 17: 14; Rev 19: 11-16; Deut. 10:17; Psalm 136: 3

Jesus being the Creator of all things. He was and is the fullness of all things. Kings always have a relaxed attitude. A poor man, not used to having anything, would not have had a relaxed attitude when perfume worth a year’s salary was used to anoint His feet.

Kings are not naturally intimidated- Jesus was not intimidated, concerned, or uncomfortable in the slightest about the value of the perfume that Mary used to anoint His feet.

Lessons

  • Believers are to act and behave as kings. Rev 5: 9-10.
  • We should not be intimidated about the blessings of God.  

Conclusion

We are called to glory and virtue. If God can clothe the Lilies with beauty and the Lion as the king of jungle; Believers are expected to reign as kings. Therefore, we should not be intimidated about God’s blessing. Poverty is not synonymous to piety.

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