"POVERTY AND RICHES" (Pastor Tom Henry) ~ 9/16/25

“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.” (II Corinthians 8:9)

Let us note that the context here is that of Christian liberality. Paul does not attempt to encourage the Corinthians in this duty by legal arguments, but rather “by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Love is a much stronger motive for giving than law. This surely does not mean that grace calls for less from us than those who give by constraint. It is not a matter of “give what you owe,” but rather, “give as you love.” The Apostle, in the preceding verses, is calling attention to the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia, and how, out of deep poverty, they abounded in their liberality. It seems that Paul, being aware of their state of poverty, was reluctant to accept their generous support. He tells of how they joyfully presented their gift, “Praying us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift.” Now, the Corinthians were financially much better off than the saints at Philippi, yet in giving they came behind. “Therefore,” Paul exhorts, “as ye abound in every thing…see that ye abound in this grace also.”

These things we observe as a means to introduce our main point of discussion, which is our enrichment which comes to us through Christ’s voluntary poverty. It was extreme poverty for the Son of God who shared equally the glory of God the Father from before all worlds to become a man. (See John 17:5) The incarnation of God in flesh is a great mystery. (I Tim. 3:16) How the holy angels must have marveled! Had He taken the nature of angels that would have been an unfathomable stoop, but He took on Him the seed of Abraham. Why? “Forasmuch then as the children (His elect children) are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same.” (Heb. 2:14)

By His voluntary descent into poverty, we are made unspeakably rich. There is now a Mediator between God and man, the Man, Christ Jesus. Only He who is the God-man can bring us to God. By taking our nature, He fulfills the original Gospel promise (Gen. 3:15). God, to fulfill that promise, when the time was right sent His Son into the world, born of woman, made under the law, to redeem us, that we might become sons of God by adoption; and that we might be joint heirs with His Son. (Gal. 4:4, 5; Rom. 8:15, 16) We can rejoice with John and say, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God!” (I John 3:2) How rich is that!

Being born into this world, Jesus then lived a life of poverty. Had He lived as a prince, it would have been poverty for Him, who left heaven’s glory, but He was the reputed son of a village carpenter. For thirty years He lived in relative obscurity. How little we know of those years, especially considering how much we would like to know. Yet we know enough to confirm that he remained in poverty and obscurity. By this too, we are made rich. He, as our great High Priest, is touched with every feeling of infirmity, and can draw near and put His arms around us in every trying circumstance. When we come to the throne of grace, we are assured that our Mediator bears our petitions with perfect sympathy.

His greatest poverty, however, came at the end of His life here on earth. It was His deepest poverty that has made us exceedingly rich. In fact, it is impossible for us to express or even imagine how rich we are. In Gethsemane, when He drank the cup of wormwood and gall to the bitter dregs, He drank away our spiritual poverty. Though He endured the pain of betrayal by a friend, we gain a Divine Friend that sticks closer than a brother, Who will never leave nor forsake us. He went on to suffer the ultimate poverty by giving up His life to the cruel death of the cross. This He did that we might receive the ultimate riches, even life eternal.

Think how poor we would be had not our Lord willingly become poor. Regardless of our accumulation of material wealth we would be in deepest poverty. Think how unbelieving we are when we feel poor after having been made so abundantly rich. How vast is the inheritance which Christ through His poverty has given to His people!

Would you have these riches? They are paid for through Christ’s voluntary poverty. They can be yours for the asking.