As a priest, it is incumbent upon me to share the true teachings and the essence of the life of Jesus Christ as provided in the Holy Bible. One of the misconceptions found amongst those who lack a proper understanding of scripture is the concept that Jesus Christ was a wealthy man during his lifetime on earth. This cannot be further from the truth.
Indeed, Jesus is the second person of the Trinity, as rich as God is rich. He owns everything and possesses all the power, authority, sovereignty, glory and honour as described in Isaiah 9:6, Micah 5:2 and numerous other verses. However, during His time on earth, He voluntarily gave up His divine riches and privileges. He became poor, assuming the nature of a humble servant (Zechariah 9:9, 2 Corinthians 8:9, and Philippians 2:6–8). Also, notably, by the time our savior underwent crucifixion, His earthly possessions were nothing but the clothes on His body.
Unfortunately, there are many prosperity preachers today who propagate the idea that Jesus was wealthy during his time on earth, asserting that God wants to shower His children with immense material riches. But this notion distorts biblical truths. A materially rich Jesus contradicts the Bible. Jesus and His disciples relied entirely on the hospitality of others while delivering their ministry from one town to another (Matthew 10:9–10). Jesus Himself said to a potential follower, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head” (Luke 9:58).
This distorted teaching about Jesus’s wealth along with the “gospel of greed” seems to have permeated some churches today, diverging from the actual lessons of Jesus Christ. As mentioned in Ecclesiastes 1:9 by Solomon, “There is nothing new under the sun.” Paul confronted similar issues in his churches (Romans 16:17–18).
Paul’s first letter to Timothy clearly reflects Jesus’s teachings about the dangers of a heart set on accumulating earthly treasure: “People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap …For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil…” (1 Timothy 6:9–10). Similarly, Jesus warned against all forms of greed, stating, “be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15).
Jesus valued and praised the poor while teaching about the deceitfulness of riches (Luke 12:15, Matthew 6:19–21). It would be a paradox if Jesus, who knew the hearts of men and the obstacles wealth can pose, were himself rich. He, himself, remarked how difficult it is for the wealthy to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 19:23). Therefore, it’s essential to understand that Jesus, during his time on earth, did not possess wealth or riches in the earthly sense; though in spiritual richness and divine glory, he was, and remains, unsurpassed.
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