twrmail

I thought that it was generally agreed that Jesus led an exemplary life. You are, like those described in the scripture quoted, offended at his behavior?

Malachi151

How about: "then I was beside him, like a master worker;".....

xaxxat

Supposedly he could turn water into wine. What kind of margin would he make on that? How could he be poor with a skill like that?

MortalWombat

Agreed upon by whom?I was merely responding to the original poster's requests for evidence for or against Jesus' concern for the poor.

Gamera

The author of Luke makes sure his audience knows that Jesus came from a poor family be describing the sacrifice at his purification:

LUKE 2: 22-24: And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord") 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons." 25

Mary and Joseph gave a poor man's gift of pidgeons. If they were well off, they would have sacrificed a lamb. Hence, Jesus parents were poor. Here is the ritual the verse refers to:

Leviticus 12

1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 "Say to the people of Israel, If a woman conceives, and bears a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days; as at the time of her menstruation, she shall be unclean. 3 And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. 4 Then she shall continue for thirty-three days in the blood of her purifying; she shall not touch any hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying are completed. 5 But if she bears a female child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her menstruation; and she shall continue in the blood of her purifying for sixty-six days. 6 "And when the days of her purifying are completed, whether for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the door of the tent of meeting a lamb a year old for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering, 7 and he shall offer it before the LORD, and make atonement for her; then she shall be clean from the flow of her blood. This is the law for her who bears a child, either male or female. 8 ]And if she cannot afford a lamb, then she shall take two turtledoves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering; and the priest shall make atonement for her, and she shall be clean."

Mary could not afford a lamb. So she sacrified doves. Case closed on that.

Now to Jesus economic condition as a man:

Matthew 8:20 - And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head."

Luke 9:58 - And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head."

Jesus was homeless. He didn't even have a place to sleep.


Notice that Jesus asks John to take care of Mary. If he had property, he could have given it to his mother. He had none, so he counted on John taking care of Mary:

John 19: 26-27
When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" 27 Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. 28 s poor by describing the