This post is chapter 87 in John Piper's book Taste And See: Savoring The Supremacy Of God In All Of Life (Pages 258-261)
"If Christ had evangelized only his own kind, no one would be saved. There is only one of his kind - and God did not need evangelizing. Therefore, "Though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9). Similarly, if the well-fed church evangelizes only "its own kind," massive stretches of lost humanity will go untouched because they are absolutely poor. Not only that, there are millions of Christians among the poor who are our brothers and sisters.
Absolute poverty isn’t quite starvation, but it isn’t quite subsistence either. Absolute poverty means earning less than $370 per year. Half of all children in this population will not survive to their fifth birthday….
Of the one billion people living in absolute poverty, David Barrett estimates that fully 200 million of these people are fellow believers in Jesus Christ. Something is desperately wrong in the international body of Christ when some of us live palatially, and others can’t keep their kids fed. (Tom Sine, "The Demographic Revolution and Whole-Life Stewardship," Faces of Poverty and Population [Monrovia, CA: World Vision, 1992], 18)
But even more important and more powerful in our lives than such statistics is the life and teaching of Jesus Christ, our Lord. We need to keep our eyes fixed on him—the real Jesus of history, not just some vague idea of God floating in the air. What he did and how he lived and what he said will change us, if we really listen to him and ponder the purpose of our predestination: "Those whom [God] foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son" (Romans 8:29, RSV).
1. He became poor.
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9)
2. His mother was poor.
For [God] has had regard for the lowly state of His bondslave; for behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. (Luke 1:48)
3. He was born in a cow stall.
She gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. (Luke 2:7)
4. He was dedicated with the poor offering.
When the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord…and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons." (Luke 2:22–24; see also Leviticus 12:6–8)
5. He was anointed to preach to the poor.
The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are downtrodden. (Luke 4:18)
6. He called the poor blessed and the rich woeful.
And turning His gaze on His disciples, He began to say, "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God…. But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full." (Luke 6:20, 24)
7. He said it was hard for the wealthy to be saved.
Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! For 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." (Luke 18:24–25)
8. He called for anxiety-free sell-offs to get to a wartime lifestyle.
Do not be anxious for your life, as to what you shall eat; nor for your body, as to what you shall put on…. But seek for His kingdom, and these things shall be added to you. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to charity…. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Luke 12:22, 31–34)
9. He called for a passionate search for the poor.
Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here the poor and crippled and blind and lame. (Luke 14:21)
When you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous. (Luke 14:13–14)
10. He lived without accumulating even a home.
The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head. (Matthew 8:20)
There is in the life and teachings of Jesus a relentless tendency toward simplicity. There is a steady impulse toward living at risk, and with a kind of abandon to the Father’s care that looks foolish to the well-off world. There is an unsettling otherworldliness that made Jesus and his first followers radically useful in this dead-end world. There is a freedom from things and for the kingdom that thrills the heart of his disciples.
Lord, give us this freedom. At any cost, free us from the bondage to this world, and its images of success and power. Open our eyes to see that "what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God" (Luke 16:15, RSV). Grant us to live as aliens and exiles. And fix our eyes on the all-satisfying, everlasting joy of arriving in heaven on the Calvary road of love and service." John Piper
To learn more about the great King Jesus and His glorious Gospel message, please watch American Gospel: Christ Alone. You can watch the full documentary here with a free, 3 day trial.
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