Series 1 - Lesson 3 - Annotation 13
Was Jesus poor?
13. No! He was wealthy with riches that the average individual is not fully aware of. Jesus did not need to possess "things" in order to enjoy or appreciate them. He found enjoyment in many simple ways overlooked by others. He saw in life healing and abundance where others saw a lack. Those who can see as Jesus did "inherit the earth" in a fuller sense than does the owners of land. Jesus wore a seamless robe so valued that after His crucifixion the soldiers cast lots for it. He was intimately acquainted with the omnipresent, omniscient substance of God-Mind, and so understood the omnipotent Word of God that He was able to speak the word of Truth and call forth what was needed to heal the sick, feed the multitude, pay the taxes. He told His disciples to do likewise, since the loving Father had given them this power also. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto the Father" (John 14:12).
Poverty could have no place in Jesus' consciousness, for it is a state of mind that believes in separation from good. Jesus believed in oneness with God, the source of all good. It is true that Jesus lived the simple life. Charles Fillmore states in Prosperity:
"There is a great difference between the simple life and poverty. The two have been associated in the minds of some people, and this is the reason they shun the idea of the simple life. . . . All those who base their prosperity on possessions alone have a purely material prosperity which, though it may seem great for a time, will vanish because it is founded upon the changing of the external and has no root within the consciousness. The simple life is a state of consciousness. It is peace, contentment, and satisfaction in the joy of living and loving, and it is attained through thinking about God and worshiping Him in spirit and in truth" (Charles Fillmore Prosperity 106 - 108).
This was the secret of Jesus' wealth. He worshiped God in Spirit and in truth; He knew peace, contentment, satisfaction, joy, love because His mind was centered in God.
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Preceding Entry: How may we overcome worry about supply?
Following Entry: Why does the apparent source of income sometimes stand in the way of one's receiving a bountiful supply?
