For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that although he was rich, he became poor for your sakes, so that you by his poverty could become rich.
2 Corinthians 8:9 NET
In the second chapter of 2 Corinthians, Paul encouraged the church at Corinth regarding an offering he was collecting. The Jerusalem church was in need, and this offering was to provide them with some relief. The church had earlier committed to participating in this offering, and now Paul was encouraging them to follow through on their earlier commitment.
The Generosity of the Macedonian Churches
He held up two examples as he urged them to be generous in the collection. The first was the churches of Macedonia (2 Cor. 8:1-5). These churches had little in the way of financial resources, but they gave what they had- even beyond what might be reasonably expected of them.
Jesus’ Example of Generosity
The second example of sacrificial giving that Paul held before them was Jesus. As God, he was rich. All of creation was his to do with as he chose. And he was rich in glory, honor, and power. But, as an act of his grace, he became poor for our sake.
In the incarnation, God, the Son, wrapped himself in flesh and became a man. He did not give up his divinity, but he became fully human in every way. And he chose to come, not as a powerful and highly respected ruler but as a helpless baby, born into humble circumstances, and destined to die a criminal’s death on a Roman cross.
Why? So that, through his poverty, I might become rich. Because of Jesus’ generosity in giving himself for me, I have a place in his kingdom as a child of God.
If the Macedonian example of generosity does not move me to generosity, then the generosity of Jesus should. How can I call him Lord, yet be unwilling to follow his example (Luke 6:46)?
