Jesus as Forsaking Riches/Material Possessions
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Born into poverty
Nazareth had a population of about 300 people. It basically consisted of several extended families.... All of Nazareth fit on about ten acres of land. There were no public buildings. There were no paved roads. There were no sewers. Half the population would have died in childbirth. Of those that survived, average life expectancy was thirty-something. No one in Nazareth was dressing for success. They would have one set of clothing, and the best they could hope for was to avoid dying or falling into debt.

That`s where Jesus grew up. His family, by the way, was so poor that when it was time for his parents to sacrifice a lamb for their firstborn son as required by Jewish law in Leviticus, they could not afford a lamb to commemorate this great marker of their lives. They had to sacrifice two birds.

You will not understand Jesus unless you understand this about Him: Jesus grew up a Jewish peasant. And when He came to earth, that was a part of what He chose.



By: John Ortberg
Category: Jesus as Forsaking Riches/Material Possessions
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God is calling us out of ourselves into an abundant life
God is passionate that people know Him, God is passionate about the poor and the oppressed, and God is passionate about you, and He is passionate about me, that we come to know Jesus, that we become like Jesus, and that we know the joy that only Jesus can bring. Jesus said, "I have come that they may have life and have it to the full." Problem is, we have an enemy, and that enemy convinces us that the abundant life consists of getting everything we want when we want it. Problem is that can lead to some temporary happiness but never to lasting joy. There`s a show on MTV called My Sweet Sixteen, and it`s about teenagers whose parents give them these elaborate 16th birthday parties, costing upwards of $200, 000 just for the party. They hire top named bands, they go buy a couple of cars, the girls get four or five expensive dresses just for one night. But invariably some little thing always goes wrong: the dress isn`t the right style or the Mercedes isn`t the right color, you know, tragic things like that. The people just dissolve into tears. That`s what happens when we indulge our every desire: our world shrinks down to me and mine, and when your world is small everything in it seems big, and pretty soon the tiniest things just make us miserable. God has a passion that we live more abundant lives than that, and the way he does that is to call us out of ourselves and into that big world that he made, and to serve others there.



By: Scott Dudley
Category: Jesus as Forsaking Riches/Material Possessions
(1) Comments
Comment Helpful? Favorite Violation

The devil took Him to a very high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory; and he said to Jesus, "All these things will I give You, if You fall down and worship me." Then Jesus said to him, "Be gone, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only." ( Matthew 4:8-10)

And as they were going along the road, someone said to Him, "I will follow You wherever You go." And Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." ( Luke 9:57-58)

And He instructed His disciples that they should take nothing for their journey, except a mere staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belt; but to wear sandals; and He added, "Do not put on two tunics." ( Mark 6:8-9)

The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?" Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." ( Matthew 19:20)

Jesus said, "No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and riches." Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things, and they were scoffing at Him And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God." ( Luke 16:13-15)

And someone in the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me." But He said to him, "Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbiter over you?" And He said to them, "Beware and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions." ( Luke 12:13-15)

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