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Traditionally, Jesus has been depicted as being poor. Having grown up going to Church, I know this is the mental picture that immediately comes to mind when I think of Jesus. I tend to think of him as a sort of ancient hippy who was more concerned with the poor than the rich – he seems to have quite a few Liberal, Socialist values.
As the GOP continues to try and harness Christianity for its own ends, the question has to be asked; was Jesus poor or was he in fact, one of the 1% of his day? It becomes even more relevant when you think about the state of the world today. America and even some parts of Canada have been gripped by protests decrying the oppression of the poor, the hoarding of wealth and the widening gap between the richest citizens (the 1%) and the rest of the citizens. You can easily find comments and articles by Christians who say that Jesus wouldn’t have approved of the greedy capitalistic system we have in place today.
But is that true or would Jesus in fact be part of the richest and most influential citizens of his day and age?
Treasurer
The Bible says that Judas Iscariot (the man credited for eventually betraying Jesus) was Jesus’ treasurer. One example of this can be found in the book of John:
Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him. 29 For some [of them] thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy [those things] that we have need of against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor. 30 He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night.”
The Bible also seems to suggest that Judas was stealing from the treasury behind Jesus’ back. The interesting thing about this passage and Jesus apparently having a treasurer is that you don’t need a treasurer if you’re poor. Also, if Judas was stealing from the bag of coins, how did no one notice? Were there so many coins that skimming a few off the top wouldn’t be noticed?
Literacy
Whether Jesus was literate or not is hotly debated by theologians. Some maintain that the descriptions of Jesus reading and writing in the Bible are fictions and not based on true historical accounts. Others say they are true accounts and Jesus could read and write.
If Jesus could read and write, this is a possible indicator that Jesus was at least moderately wealthy. In Jesus’ day, very few people could read and write.
Carpenter
In the English Bible, the word ‘Tekton’ has been translated into the word ‘carpenter’. However, this may be a slight mistake because Tekton has the same root as ‘technology’ and ‘technical’ and some scholars believe Jesus may in fact have been something more than a mere wood worker. It’s possible that Jesus could have been a stonemason or builder, which wasn’t a bad trade to have. If true, this could mean that Joseph (his step-father) and Jesus were fairly wealthy.
Gifts at Birth
The Bible describes Jesus being born in a manger and three wise men (or Magi or Kings) come and give his parents gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. If this indeed happened (and many scholars disagree about the birth of Jesus because the Bible has conflicting accounts) then those gifts would have been a lucrative way to start out in life. Some claim that Jesus later used those gifts to travel and spread his message.
Royal Heritage
Jesus was said to be a descendant (not directly but through his step-father Joseph) of King David. According to Wiki:
The Bronze and Iron Age remains of the City of David, the original urban core of Jerusalem identified with the reigns of David and Solomon, were investigated extensively in the 1970s and 1980s under the direction of Yigal Shiloh of the Hebrew University, but failed to discover significant evidence of occupation during the 10th century BC,[57] In 2005, Eilat Mazar found a Large Stone Structure which she claimed was David's Palace, but the archaeology is contaminated and impossible to date accurately.[58][59] Finkelstein and Silberman feel the archaeological evidence from surface surveys indicates that Judah at the time of David was a small tribal kingdom, although both do accept that David and Solomon were likely historical figures in Judah about the 10th century BC. They describe the earliest tales of David as a "classical bandit tale".
Is it possible that some of Mary and Joseph’s wealth were leftovers from the House of David? The archeological and scriptural support for this is pretty weak but it does pose an interesting question.
Anointing and Last Supper
Also in John, Judas gets upset when Mary anoints Jesus’ feet with ointment that was worth about 300 pence:
Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s [son], which should betray him, 5 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? 6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein. 7 Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this. 8 For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.
From what I can find, 300 pence at that time was quite a sum of money. It would equal about a year’s wages for the average person back then. How did Jesus come into possession of such an expensive ointment and could this be considered proof that Jesus wasn’t as poor as some make him out to be?
Also, the well-known last supper narrative seems to point towards Jesus and his disciples having enough coin to hold a feast.
Underwear Fiasco
The book of Matthew describes the soldiers gambling over Jesus’ undergarments. They must have been fine undergarments to be sure!
“And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.”
This begs the question of why the undergarments were valuable enough to gamble over and does this show that Jesus was wealthy enough to afford underwear fine enough to cause envy?
There are of course several passages in the Bible that refute the idea that Jesus was rich. Here are a few examples:
-Luke (6:20): "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God."
-Matt 6:19-21: "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy andwhere thieves break in and steal; "but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
-Mark 10:25: It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
As you can see, both sides can put forward a pretty good case for Jesus being wealthy or poor and his stance on the rich. Personally, I still view Jesus as a socialist rather than a rich person, but there is no denying the compelling arguments of the other side.
What do you think?
Was Jesus rich and on the side of the current 1% or was he poor and concerned more with the poor of this world than some would make him out to be? Would he be on the side of the OWS protesters or on the side of the rich corpocracy?
You decide.
