Poor Jesus

Ever wonder... why did Jesus chose to be so poor during his brief stay on earth?

Well, most of us would do anything to pursue a better life of comfort, style and luxury. Even better, to be born into a rich family, or wed into one. Yet in the Book, there was this man who COULD chose which family to be born into, had what it takes to achieve great wealth and fame, wowed crowds and had people wanting to crown him king; yet shun them all and chose a life of poverty.

Oh, just look at the kind of friends he kept, and the people he mingled with. My goodness! Look at his attitude towards the rich and powerful that crossed his path.

Let me share with you this interesting passage I read this morning from a book by Philip Yancey.

Various scenes in the Gospels give a good picture of the kind of people who impressed Jesus. A widow who placed her last two cents in the offering. A dishonest tax collector so riddled with with anxiety that he climbed a tree to get a better view of Jesus. A nameless, nondescript child. A woman with a string of five unhappy marriages. A blind beggar. An adulteress. A man with leprosy. Strength, good looks, connections, and the competitive instinct may bring a person success in a society like ours, but those very qualities may block entrance to the kingdom of heaven. Dependence, sorrow, repentance, a longing to change - these are the gates to God's kingdom.

We who profess to follow this man, how do we fare? Do we notice such 'losers' that so impressed him? Do we, like most others, get so totally awed and fawn over the rich and famous, the strong and beautiful, the powerful and influential, and those with strings of titles before and after their names?

Think again.

* the photo is not taken by me