He is telling us that we should give as we love. We know how much our Lord Jesus Christ loved by knowing how much he gave. As Jesus said of the woman who poured her precious perfume upon his head when it might have been sold for much and the money given to the poor, or she could have kept the perfume for herself: "She gave much because she loved much". Jesus gives as he loves us and we should measure our love by our giving. Jesus gave all he had, even when it cost him his life. He beggared himself for us. What does it cost us to give?

Jesus Christ was rich. The eternal Son of God existed before all things. He has no beginning nor end. In the past eternity before his mission to this world he was rich. He was rich in possessions, rich in glory, rich in power, rich in love. All creation is his, all the worlds he has made, all of inner and outer space, all creatures and nations, all precious metals and commodities. All is his without exception. He spoke, and all things came into existence. He is rich in honor such as none but a divine being could receive. All creatures fall down and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before him and say:
"You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being." (Revelation 4:10, 11)

He was also rich in love. His Father loved him from all eternity. He was beloved of the Father and the Holy Spirit. The three persons of the Trinity take a delight in one another. There is a ceaseless dynamic of love relationship within the Godhead. He was beloved of the angelic hosts of heaven, the seraphim and cherubim. We cannot tell what countless orders of celestial creatures there are in creation. There may be as many races of celestial beings as we know there are created races on earth. We cannot tell but that there in the boundless regions of space there are world inhabited by beings infinitely superior to us. But certainly there were holy angels who loved God the Son. They stood day and night with wings outstretched, waiting for his commands, listening to the voice of his word and loving to serve him. That is why the Church sings glory to God in the Highest. Creation sings out its praise to its Maker for there is "but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live." (1 Cor.8:6)

Jesus Christ was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor. "Christ Jesus, being in nature God did not consider equality with God something to be grasped [held onto], but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death -- even death on a cross" (Philippians 2:6-8).

The great Creator shed his glory and entered into the womb of a carpenter's betrothed, was born in a stable, raised in an artisan's workshop, and worked with his hands for a living. The Infinite became an infant. After his birth he became a refugee in Egypt, fleeing from the murderous King Herod. His situation was akin to that of the immigrants we see fleeing from north Africa to Italy to escape poverty. The Creator becomes a carpenter learning the trade of Joseph. When he began his ministry he was dependent upon the charity of others for the relief of his needs. He has to ask others for water to drink. He had no form of transportation other than his feet. He walked everywhere. He had nowhere to lay his head. "Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests but the Son of Man has nowhere to his head." He takes the form of a slave and washed the disciples' feet. He is mocked and tortured by the soldiers. He was humiliated by his own religious leaders. He was murdered by the Roman military government. Read Isaiah 53 for a description of his poverty for our sakes.

His poverty is accentuated by his background. Those who are poverty-stricken and have never known are not as pitiful as those who have once seen better days who have fallen into poverty. Our Lord Jesus Christ might have said in all his sorrows, "I have known better days than these." All through his earthly life for our sakes he had to restrain himself from calling on his heavenly bank account and celestial servants to overcome his perceived weakness and poverty. "Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels" (Matthew 26:53). Yet he was poor in spirit, humble to the uttermost, for our sake, so that the Scripture could be fulfilled and salvation secured. Why did he do all this?

Why did the rich Son of God become poor for our sakes? So that through his poverty we might become rich. He did all this so that we might benefit mightily. To the rich in this world who say, "I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing" the angels say, "You do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so that you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so that you can cover your shameful nakedness" (Revelation 3:17, 18).

"Silver and gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth...." (Acts 3:6) We have "the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints and his incomparably great power for us who believe." (Ephesians 1:18, 19) We have "the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus." (Eph.2:7) We have "the unsearchable riches of Christ" (Eph.3:8). We are heirs of the promises of the Gospel. One day we will inherit the riches of the kingdom of heaven. We are guaranteed crowns which are symbols of God's splendor and power and joy which he wants to share with us. Heaven is described as a city of gold and gems which symbolizes the eternal timelessness and value of Heaven for gold does not rust and the gems are precious. (Revelation 21:18-21) "From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another" (John 1:16). "Exalted to the right hand of God, Jesus has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear" (Acts 2:33). "Out of God's glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith" (Eph.3:16,17).

If God has generously lavished such riches upon us will we not want to be generous in return? "See that you excel in this grace of giving."

(Acknowledgments to C.H. Spurgeon, Sermon No.2716, April 18, 1880)
(Subscribe to Ted's blog at www.tedschroder.com. It will be sent to your email at no charge.)