We tend to assume that Jesus was a poor man, but why do we do this? Well, it's really only on the evidence that we read in the Bible. But what does the Bible actually say about the poverty of Jesus the man? If we look closely at the key texts we will see that the whole question is a lot more uncertain than we think. It may be that the idea that Jesus was poor may be more the result of "reading between the lines" than in reading the actual words themselves.
Let's look at some examples.
Most people know the story of the birth of Jesus, how he was born in a stable in Bethlehem, and his mother had to lay him in a manger because there was no room in the inn. This is a very attractive story, and millions of people delight to hear it retold every year at Christmastime. Being born in a stable has surely got to be evidence of poverty, hasn't it? Well, yes and no. It could certainly mean that the family were sleeping in a stable because they could not
afford a hotel room, but the text states quite clearly that they were there because there was no
room in the inn, in other words, that the inn was full up. The implication here is that
all the hotels in town were full, and that this one was the last they tried, where the kindly innkeeper, having regard to Mary's plight, let them use the stable to sleep in.
The holy family had journeyed to Bethlehem, along with a large number of other people, because it was Joseph's home town. The terms of the census required this to happen, and this would seem to be a logical requirement, although very inconvenient for the population. We read a quite detailed account of it in the Gospel of Luke, although it has been impossible so far to find independent evidence of this census in contemporary Roman records. It can be assumed though that Bethlehem, then as now quite a small town, was full to bursting with visitors, who filled all the available hotels. Possibly Mary and Joseph arrived later than many others. This would make sense, given the condition that Mary was in. Mary's pregnancy might also explain why they might accept any lodgings that were offered, to save having to search all over town, especially after a long journey.
Having to sleep in a barn when everywhere else was full could happen to anyone, not just a poor person. So it
might have been because they were poor, but it also might be for a variety of other reasons.
Another event that appears to imply the poverty of Jesus is when he had to ask someone for a coin so he could show the head of Caesar on the coin. This is the story containing the line, "Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's." If he had to ask someone to bring him a coin, surely that is a sign that he was too poor to have even one coin in his pocket? Possibly, but such a thing is just as much a sign of, for example, royalty than of poverty. Monarchs are frequently fabulously wealthy, and so do not need to carry cash. The Queen of England is one of the richest women in the world, and she famously carries no cash. If she wanted to look at a coin, she would have to ask one of her courtiers to bring her one. Pretty much the same as Jesus did, isn't it?
Much is made of the story that Jesus was a carpenter by trade. Surely this shows him to be poor, or at least, of a solid working class background, making a workman's wages? Again, not necessarily. Jesus was accepted by all the people, even his opponents, as a bona fide
rabbi, a teacher of religion. On the evidence of his deep scriptural knowledge and insight, added to the evidence of his masterly teaching techniques, we can infer that he was very likely a trained rabbi. Whether he was or not, it is a fact that is not often acknowledged that teachers at the time were encouraged to learn a practical trade as a second string, so that they might not be a burden to society during hard times. It is well known that St Paul was a tent maker by trade, and this is an example of the practice. There seems no reason why the same should not apply to the carpentry trade of Jesus.
Another story is of the man who said to Jesus, "I will follow you wherever you go." And Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." Is this a complaint about Jesus' own personal financial situation and lack of a roof over his head? Given the type of man he was, it seems highly unlikely. I think it is more likely a poetic comment on his chosen mission as an itinerant preacher, and also an indication that he knows he will not be accepted by his own people.
It is true that the mission of travelling from town to town would have involved Jesus and his disciples in some austerities, but that does not imply that they were poor men, only that travelling, at any rate in those times, could be hard. However this may be, the mission of Jesus does not seem to have been lacking in financial support from wealthy benefactors.
The author believes that there are certain notions that have arisen from an over-interpretative reading of the Gospels in the past. This article is intended to suggest some preliminary ideas towards a reappraisal of them, and to point to other possible interpretations, which may help us in living our Christian life. The author is a practising Christian, who is not wishing to criticize or call into question the Gospel message - far from it. The intention is to try to work for a clearer understanding of that message, so that we may be better able to apply it.
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It seems appropriate here to update my many fans with an itinerary of my recent travels.
