Jesus was motivated

JESUS WAS MOTIVATED
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
2 Corinthians8:9 9For 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.
Christ’s MotiveAnd Ours BY SPURGEON
“Foryour sakes.”
2 Corinthians 8:9
The true testof any action lies in its motive. Many a deed which seems to be
glorious is really mean and ignoble because it is done with a base intention.
While other actions which appearto be poor and paltry, if we truly
understood them, would be seento be full of the glory and beauty of a noble
purpose. The mainspring of a watchis the most important part of it. The
spring of an action is everything. My sermon from these two texts will be on
the motive which inspired Christ’s redeeming work and the motive which
should inspire our service for Him. He did all for our sakes–weshoulddo all
for His sake. Fixyour attention, then, chiefly, not on the deed, but on the
motive which is its root.
The less of selfin any effort, the nobler it is. A great work, undertakenand
completed from selfishmotives, is much less praiseworthythan the feeble
endeavorput forth to help other people. Selfishness is, perhaps, the worstof
all meanness, but spiritual selfishness is the form of the evil most to be
dreaded. With Christ there was no self-seeking. Notfor Himself did He come
to earth–not for Himself did He suffer. He lived for others and died for others.
“Foryou know the Grace ofour Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich,

yet for your sakes He became poor, that you, through His poverty, might be
rich.” In this glorious unselfishness Christ is not only our Savior, He is also
our Example. As He did not live for self, we, too, must learn to deny ourselves
and live like He. It is in living and acting, “for His sake,” thatwe shall most
truly “follow His steps.”
We are often told, in these days, that we should live for the good of others, and
we ought to heed the call. But there is so little in our fellow men to callforth
the spirit of self-sacrifice thatif we have no higher motive, we shall soon
become tired of our efforts on their behalf. The true wayis to live for Christ
and then, “for His sake,”seekto save our fellow men. With such a
constraining power we shall not be weary in well-doing, for though men may
fail us, and frequent discouragementmeet us in our toil, our impelling force
will always be the same. As we whisper it to ourselves againand again, “for
His sake,”we shallbe made strong to do or to suffer.
If you thus go forth to the service of eachday, “for His sake,”realizing that
He, “for your sakes,” gave Himselfto toil and agony, and even to death, itself,
you will daily grow into sympathy with Christ. His Divine compassionfor men
will take hold upon you–you will be lifted up above the life of the world and,
as you go about doing good, you will be able to touch the sorrow of the earth
with a tender hand. You will grow like He you serve.
I have heard of a man who lived in a certain town and while he lived, was
greatly misunderstood. It was known that he had a large income, yet he lived
a miserly life, and loud were the murmurs at the scantyhelp he gave to those
around him. He stinted himself in many ways and hoarded his money. But
when he died, the popular verdict was reversed, for then the motive of all his
economywas manifested. He left his fortune to build a reservoir and an
aqueduct, to bring a constantsupply of pure water to the town where he had
been despisedand misunderstood! This was the chief need of the people and
for a long time they had suffered much from drought and disease becauseof
the scantywatersupply. All the years that they had misjudged him, he was
silently and unselfishly living for their sakes.Whenthey discoveredhis
motive, it was too late to do anything for him further than to hand down to
future generations the memory of his noble and generous deed. But we can do
much, “for His sake,” who has brought to us the living water and who, though
He died for us, is now alive, again, and will live forevermore. If He thus loved
me, and lived for me, nothing that I can do is too much for Him–
“When often, like a wayward child,
I murmur at His will,
Then this sweetword, ‘For Jesus’sake,‘

My restless heartcanstill.
I bow my head and gently led,
His easyyoke I take–
And all the day, and all the way,
An echo in my heart shall say–
'For Jesus sake!’”
Without dwelling on the immediate connectionof the words which I have
chosenfrom two familiar and beautifulverses, I would, with these two texts,
weave a fabric of love. See whatJesus did for us and then think what we can
do for Jesus. “Foryour sakes” Christdid His deeds of love. “ForHis sake” we
are calledupon to live and labor among the sons of men. May His love
enkindle ours!
1. First, let us consider THE MOTIVE OF CHRIST’S WORK. “Foryour
sakes.” As many of you as have believed in Christ Jesus may know that,
“for your sakes,”the Lord of Glory stoopedto be a suffering, dying
Man.
In meditating on the motive that moved the Lord Jesus to come to your
rescue, consider, first, the august Personwho undertook your salvationand
died, “foryour sakes.”He was God. “He thought it not robbery to be equal
with God.” He made the heavens. “Without Him was not anything made that
was made.” The angels delighted to do Him homage!Every seraph’s wing
would fly at His bidding–all the host of Heaven worshipped at His feet. All the
powers of Nature were under His control. He needednothing to make Him
glorious–allthings were His and the powerto make more than all! He might
truly say, “If I were hungry, I would not tell you: for the world is Mine and
the fullness thereof.”
Hymned day without night by all the sacredchoristers, He did not lack for
praise. Nor did He lack for servants–legions ofangels were always readyto do
His commands, hearkening unto the voice of His word. It was this God, this
Ever-BlessedOne who was, from eternity with the Father, and in whom the
Father had infinite delight, who lookedupon men with the eye of love! He that
was born in Bethlehem’s manger was the Infinite as wellas the Infant. And
He that lived, here, the life of a peasant, toiling and suffering, was that same
God who made the heavens and the earth, but who deigned to be Incarnate
for our sakes.Wellmight Isaiah, in his prophetic vision, proclaim the royal
titles of the “Child” who was to be born and the “Son” who, in the fullness of
time, would be given to us and for us–“The government shall be upon His
shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty
God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

Let this Truth of God sink into your souls, that it was God who came from
Heaven, “foryour sakes.”It was no inferior being, no one like yourselves, but
it was very God of very God who loved you with an everlasting and infinite
affection!I have often turned that thought over in my mind, but I have never
been able to express it as I have wished. If I were told that all the sons of men
caredfor me, that would be but as a drop in a bucketcompared with Jehovah,
Himself, regarding me! If it were said that all the princes of the earth had
fallen at some poor man’s feet and laid aside their dignities that they might
relieve his necessities, itwould be counted condescending kindness–butsuch
an act would not be worthy to be spokenof in comparisonwith that infinite
condescensionand unparalleled love which brought the Saviorfrom the skies
to rescue and redeem such worthless rebels as we were!It is not possible that
all the condescensionofall the kind and compassionate menwho have ever
lived should be more than as a small grain that could not turn the scale
compared with the everlasting hills of the Savior’s wondrous love!
Think, too, of the insignificant clients on whom all this wealthof affectionwas
poured. As you remember the Personwho came here, “for your sakes,”and
then, wonderful stoop! considerwho you are–who we are–forwhose sakes He
died, do not our hearts melt at the thought? Brothers and Sisters, if we truly
know ourselves, we have a very poor opinion of ourselves whencompared
with Christ! Humility has been rightly said to be a correctestimate of
ourselves. Whatwere we but the most insignificant creatures? If our whole
race had been blotted out, there need have been no gap in the creationof God,
or if there had seemedto be a void for a moment, He had but to speak the
word and myriads of creatures, prompt to obey His will, would have filled up
the space!How was it that Jesus, the Son of God, should suffer for such
insignificant worms–suchinsects ofan hour as we are?
But we are not only insignificant, we are also wicked. “We have sinned with
our fathers. We have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.” Eventhe
Lord’s children have to confess, “Allwe, like sheep, have gone astray; we have
turned, everyone, to his own way.” But, oh, wonder of love, they canadd,
“and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all!” As sinners, we deserve
nothing but God’s thunderbolts, yet, trusting in His dear Son, we receive
nothing but His mercy! Having desperatelysinned and broken all His
Commandments, if He had said, “Perishforever, you guilty rebels,” He would
have spokenonly the sentence that strict justice required. Insteadof that, He
said to His Only-Begotten, “Youshall die that they may not die. I will take
You, My Son, My Isaac, and offer You upon the altar of sacrifice that through
Your death men may live.” This is, indeed, a marvel of Grace!This must be

one of the things the angels desire to look into! Our thoughts cannotcompass
this wondrous work, nor canour words describe it!
Many of us, also, were not only sinful, as the whole race is, but we were
peculiarly sinful. Some of us feel inclined to dispute with Saul of Tarsus for
the title, “chiefof sinners.” It will always remain a wonderto me that the Son
of God should have condescendedto die for me. Were you a drunk and has
the Holy Spirit shownyou that Jesus died for you? And are you now rejoicing
that you are washedin His precious blood? Were you one of the women who,
like Mary Magdalene, were rightly calledsinners? And have you, like she,
washedyour robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb? Then you
are constrainedto exclaim with wonder and gratitude–
“Depth of mercy, can there be
Mercy still reservedfor me?
Can my God His wrath forbear?
Me, the chief of sinners, spare?”
I fancy that I hear one and another of you adoring God’s matchless mercy
and saying, with wonder and surprise, “Isit really true that mercy is brought
to me by God’s ownSon? Could nothing less than the death of the Only-
Begottensave my sinful soul? Did He condescendto die for me? Well may I
admire the Grace thus manifestedand raise my glad song of thanksgiving to
Him who has done such greatthings for me!” Eachof us can see some
peculiarity in his owncase. Some ofus have not offended so grievouslyin
outward conduct as others have done, but, then, we had better instruction in
our childhood and, consequently, our sins were doubly heinous, for we sinned
againstlight and knowledge!Some of us have had to violate our conscience
terribly in order to sin as we have done. It may be that some of you lived 40 or
50 years as unbelievers and yet, at last, you were brought to bow at the dear
feet that were piercedfor you. Oh, I am sure you bless His name that ever He
shed His blood for you–and I dare sayyou feel as I do, sometimes, that none in
the Glory Land will be able to raise such a song of adoring gratitude as you
will when all Heaven shall ring with the grand chorus of those who have been
redeemedfrom among men!
Thus have we considered, first, the august Personwho accomplishedthe great
work of our redemption. And, secondly, the poor sinful creatures for whose
sake He suffered.
Now let me invite you to considerthe wondrous work which this master
motive inspired. “Foryour sakes”Godbecame Incarnate–the Sonof God
took into union with Himself our nature–without which He could not have

suffered and died. We read concerning Him, “Being found in fashion as a
Man, He humbled Himself.” If we had never heard of that fact, before, our
ears and heart would be astonishedat the words! At the end of eachclause I
feel inclined to pause, and say, “Look!Look!Was there ever such a wonder as
this–the Infinite became Incarnate!He ate and He hungered! He drank and
He thirsted! He needed to be housed from the wintry storm, but He "had not
where to lay His head.” He wanted human sympathy, but, “all His disciples
forsook Him and fled.” He was the “Manof Sorrows, andacquainted with
grief,” and all, “for your sakes.”
The words that follow our text tell us that, “He became poor.” You know that,
in this world, the poverty of a man is usually reckonedin proportion to the
position of affluence from which he has come down. One who was born a
pauper is not relatively so poor as the man who was once a king, but has been
reduced to beggary, for in the one case there is no experience of the luxury
which riches cancommand, and in the other no adaptability to the shifts and
privations of those who have always been in poverty. When the Christ of God,
the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, was forsakenby His Father, desertedby
His friends, and left alone to suffer, “for your sakes,”that was the direst
poverty that was ever
See your Lord beneath the olives of Gethsemane!Bloody sweatfalls to the
ground as, being in an agony, He prays more earnestly–“Ifit is possible, let
this cup pass from Me”–but it must not pass from Him. “Foryour sakes”He
must drink it! “Foryour sakes” everybitter drop must be drained! Then see
Him as He stands, without an advocate, before Herod, Pilate and Caiaphas–
“takenfrom prison and from judgment.” Mark His sufferings as they hound
Him through the streets ofJerusalem, along the Sorrowful Way! Behold Him
as, at last, they fasten His hands and His feet to the cruel woodand lift Him up
‘twixt earth and Heaven, to suffer the death of the Cross!Let those who will,
depreciate the sufferings of Christ–I believe there was in the God-Man, Christ
Jesus, aninfinite capacityfor suffering and that His body, so wondrously
formed, was able to endure and did endure, infinitely more than human
thought can imagine–while, atthe same time, the sufferings of His soulwere
the very soul of His sufferings! Well did the Spirit-taught poet, JosephHart,
write–
“Much we talk of Jesus'blood,
But how little’s understood!
Of His sufferings, so intense,
Angels have no perfect sense.
Who can rightly comprehend

Their beginning or their end?
‘Tis to God and God alone
That their weight is fully known.”
All this Christ suffered, “for your sakes.”Whatlove and gratitude ought to
fill your heart as you think of all that Jesus bore on your behalf! If you had a
wife who, when you lay sick, watchedyou with such anxious care that she
undermined her own health and brought herself down to the grave through
her devotion to you, oh, with what love you think of her, that she should suffer
even unto death for your sake!If you were ever delivered from a watery
grave, and the brave fellow who rescuedyou, himself, sank back into the
waterand was drowned, you can never forgot his noble self-sacrifice, but you
will always cherishhis memory, for he died for your sake!
There is a story I have often read, of an American gentleman who was
accustomedto go frequently to a tomb and plant fresh flowers. When someone
askedwhy he did so, he said that when the time came for him to go to the war,
he was detained by some business and the man who lay beneath the sod
became his substitute, performed his duty and died in the battle. Over that
carefully-kept grave, he had the words inscribed, “He died for me!” There is
something melting in the thought of another dying for you–how much more
melting is it when that One is the Christ of Calvary! Why, you feel, “Here is
One of whom I never deservedanything, taking my place!Here is One whom
I have badly treated and againstwhom I have offended–yetHe suffered for
me–He took my place, He bore my sins, He died for me! Therefore I will live
for Him. I will love Him. I will give myself wholly and unreservedly to Him
and to His blessedservice.”“Foryour sakes”Christdied. If you believe that,
you cannothelp loving and serving Him! It is an old theme which I am
bringing before your minds, but it is the grandesttheme that ever inspired a
mortal tongue, or stirred a human heart!
I want you that love the Lord to consider, next, the comprehensive motive for
which He workedthe wondrous work which I have so imperfectly described–
“Foryour sakes.” I would have you remember that everything He was and
everything He did was, “foryour sakes.” “Foryour sakes”the midnight
prayer upon the bleak mountain’s side. “Foryour sakes”the scoffing and the
jeering that followedHim whereverHe went. “Foryour sakes”the agony in
the garden. “Foryour sakes”the flagellationof the Roman lash. “Foryour
sakes”He gave His back to the smiters and His cheeks to them that plucked
off the hair. “Foryour sakes”the shame and the spitting. “Foryour sakes,”
He “became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross.” Sayit, my

Brothers and Sisters!Let your hearts say it now and wet the words with
tears–“Foroursakes He suffered all this.”
Think of Him for a moment as He is takendown from the Cross. In fair white
linen they wrap that blessedbody, coveredwith its own blood. I think I see
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, and Josephof Arimathea, looking on
that poor mangled frame. Those deareyes, once so bright with love, now
closedin death. Those wonder-working hands that multiplied the loaves and
fishes, now stiff and cold. And those blessedfeetthat trod the sea, now all
lifeless. O Joseph, and you, Mary, this was for you–“foryour sakes”!But also
for mine and for the sake of all my Brothers and Sisters who are resting by
faith on that finished Sacrifice!They laid the dear body in Joseph’s new tomb,
the virgin sepulcherwherein never man had lain, and there they left our great
Champion sleeping a while in the darkness ofdeath. As He lay there, it was
“for your sakes.”
Yes, and blessedbe His name, when the appointed morning came, He lived
again, the stone was rolled awayfrom the sepulcherand He came forth from
the tomb! It was, “foryour sakes,”He rose. The 40 days He lived on earth
were “for your sakes.” And when from off the brow of Olivet He ascendedto
His Father’s right hand, it was, “foryour sakes.” He said to His disciples, “I
go to prepare a place for you.” There, seatedon His Throne of Glory, He
holds the scepterand rules all worlds, “for your sakes.”There as an
Intercessor, He pleads with God, “for your sakes.” There is not a gem in His
crownbut it is there, “for your sakes.” There is not a jewelon His breastplate
but it is there, “for your sakes.”Fromhead to foot He is what He is, “for your
sakes.” And when He shall come a secondtime–as soonHe will–to judge the
world in righteousness,and to “gathertogetherHis electfrom the four winds,
from one end of Heaven to the other” to usher in the reign of truth and
establishHis Throne forever, it will be all, “for your sakes,” who have
believed on His name! “Forall things are for your sakes, thatthe abundant
Grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.”
We might thus continue, but we will not. May God make this thought burn in
your heart–All that Christ has done for us is for our sakes!I suppose it is
because we are such fallen creatures that these considerations do not move us
as they should. Granite is waxcompared with our hearts!Oh, that we did but
feel the fire of Jesus'love! Like coals ofjuniper which have a most vehement
flame, our hearts should burn within us while we talked of that dear love
which brought Him to the grave and took Him from the grave to the heavens–
and shall bring Him back from the heavens to take His people up to be with
Him where He is and to live with Him forever!

II. Having meditated on the motive which moved Christ in the work He
accomplishedfor us, let us considerTHE MOTIVE WHICH SHOULD
INSPIRE ALL OUR SERVICE FOR HIM–“ForHis sake.”
This secondtext is in the Epistle to the Philippians, first chapter, and 29 th
verse. “Unto you it is given in the behalf ofChrist, not only to believe on Him,
but also to suffer for His sake.”Whatare we that we should be allowedthe
high honor of suffering, “forHis sake”?It is a greatprivilege to do, or to be,
or to bearanything for Him. Our suffering can never be worth a thought
when compared with His–and any sacrifice thatwe could offer, “for His
sake,”wouldbe small, indeed, when contrasted with the infinite Sacrifice that
He has already made for our sakes. Ifyou are rejoicing in the fact that Christ
died for you, it will be very easyto prompt in your hearts the desire to do
something, “for His sake.”
I find in Scripture that the thought expressedin the words, “for His sake,”
may be enlargedand assume six or sevenphases. Forinstance, in the Gospel
of Matthew, fifth chapter, and 10 th verse, our Lord puts it, “for
righteousness'sake”–“Blessedare they which are persecutedfor
righteousness'sake.”I understand, then, that if a man suffers as a Christian
for doing that which is right, he is suffering for Christ’s sake. If he cannot and
will not act disreputably and contrary to the commands of God, as others do,
the suffering which he willingly bears, the loss which he cheerfully incurs
because ofhis uprightness, is so much borne for Christ’s sake.
If a man is out-and-out righteous in this world, he will be sure to be pointed at
by certain persons as an oddity. He cannot lie, as others lie, nor practice tricks
in trade as others do–nor frequent their places of amusement, nor indulge in
their lusts and, therefore, straightway they say–“He is a hypocrite! He is a
cant!” And as they cannotunderstand the principle which inspires him, they
impute to him motives which he abhors. This is how they talk–“He is doing it
for the sake ofbeing thought a saint,” “He is paid for it.” “He has some
sinister motive or other.” Or else they sum up the whole matter by declaring,
“He is a downright impostor.”
Now, if in any of these ways you are made to suffer for that which is right–for
speaking the truth and acting the truth–never mind, Brothers and Sisters, but
rather rejoice that you are permitted to suffer for Christ’s sake!Say within
yourself, “If my dear Lord lost all things for me, I may well lose some things
for Him. If He was stripped to the last rag for me, I may well be content to be
poor, ‘for His sake.’” Setyour face like a flint and say, “We can be poor, but
we cannot be dishonest. We can suffer, but we cannot sin.” Many men say,
when we talk to them thus, “But, you know, we must live.” I do not see that

there is any necessityfor your living if you cannotlive honestly. It would be
better to die than to do wrong–anyamount of suffering would be better than
that we should deny our Lord and Master!Remember Peter’s words, “If you
suffer for righteousness'sake, happy are you: and be not afraid of their
terror, neither be troubled; but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts,” or, as
the RevisedVersionhas the lastclause, “Sanctifyin your hearts Christ as
Lord.”
In the Word of God, yet anotherform is given to this suffering or doing for
Christ’s sake, andit assumes this shape–“forthe Gospel’s sake.”In His first
Epistle to the Corinthians, ninth chapter, and 23 rd verse, Paulwrites of
whathe did, “for the Gospel’s sake,”andour Lord speaks ofsome who, when
there was persecution, “forthe Word’s sake,”were offended. Now, if you are
put to any shame for the sake ofthe Gospel, you suffer, “for His sake.” And if
you labor to spread the Gospeland publish the Word of God–ifit is your daily
endeavorto tell to others God’s way of salvation, you are doing something,
“for His sake,” forthe Gospeland Christ are so wrapped up togetherthat
what is done for the Gospel’s sake,is done, “for His sake.”
Yet another view of the subject is given to us when the Apostle, in his letter to
the Colossians,first chapter, and 24 thverse, speaks ofcertainsaints honoring
Christ by suffering, “for His body’s sake, whichis the Church.” That is
another form of rendering homage to Christ and doing what we do, “for His
sake.”O Brothers and Sisters, we ought to do much more than we do for
God’s people! They are the body of Christ. We should, everyone of us, feel it
an honor to be allowedto unloose the laces ofHis shoes and to washHis feet–
well, poor saints are Christ’s feet! When you are feeding them, you are
feeding Him, for certainly, if Paul, in persecuting them, persecutedChrist, it is
clearthat you, when you are helping them for Christ’s sake, are doing it for
Him! Oh, lay out your lives for His Church’s sake!His dear people deserve it
at your hands and their Lord deserves it, too.
Then, again, Paul, in His secondEpistle to Timothy, secondchapter, and 10 th
verse, uses the phrase, “forthe elect'ssakes,”by which I think he
comprehends, not only those who are in the Church as yet, but those who are
to be. Happy is that man who spends all his time in seeking out poor
wanderers, that he may bring in God’s elect! Happy is he who lays all his
talents and all his strength upon the altar of God, consecratedto this aim–that
he may find out the chosenof the Father, the redeemedby the blood of Jesus
and, in the hand of the Spirit, be the instrument of bringing them back to
their Father’s house from which they have wandered. When you serve
Christ’s people, always do it, “for His sake.”

Further, we have the expression, “the Kingdom of God’s sake,”whenour
Mastertells Peter, as recordedin the 18 thchapter of Luke, 29 th verse, that
no one who has left anything for Him and for it, shall fail of present and
eternal reward.This is anotherway in which we can serve Christ our King, by
being willing to sacrifice “house, orparents, or brothers and sisters, orwife,
or children, for the Kingdom of God’s sake.”
There is one other remarkable expressionused by John in his secondEpistle,
at the secondverse. He there speaks ofsomething done, “for the Truth’s sake,
which dwells in us.” Ah, it is not merely the Gospelwe are to defend, but we
are to defend that living Seedwhich the Holy Spirit has put into us, that Truth
of God which we have tasted, handled and felt–that theologywhich is not that
of the Book, only, but that which is written on the fleshy tablets of our hearts.
I hope there are many of you who keepback your hand from sin because the
Truth that is in you will not let you touch it–and who put forth both your
hands to serve the Lord because the Truth that is in you compels you to it!
The new nature, that living, incorruptible Seed, constrains you and you judge
that if Christ died for you, you must live and, if necessary, you will die for
Him. I would ask greatthings from those for whom Christ has done great
things. When you make sin little, and Hell little, you also make Christ little–
and then, in consequence, youthink you owe Him but little and you will
render Him but little. But when you feelthe weightof sin and see the
preciousness ofyour Redeemerand feel, in some measure, the obligations
under which you are to Him, then you say–
“Oh! what shall I do, my Saviorto praise.”
There have been, in the Christian Church, at different times, men and women
of highly consecratedspirit who seemto have realized what their Lord
expectedof them. I dare say that they were very dissatisfiedwith themselves,
but as we read their biographies, we are charmed with their consecrationof
spirit. The Truth of God and especiallythe Christ, who is the Truth, had such
influence over their lives, that they truly lived, “for His sake.”Maywe have
many such in our ranks! I do not know whether it may be the duty of any of
you to go to foreignlands, “for His sake.”I only hope there are some young
men here who will offer themselves for missionary service, forblessedare they
that bear the Gospelinto “the regions beyond,” carrying their lives in their
hands! They shall stand very near to the eternalThrone of God in the day
when the King rewards His faithful servants.
I do not know whether there may be any of our Sisters here who are bound to
consecrate their lives to the nursing of the sick where fevers are rife, or where
pestilence abounds, but they who cando such service to humanity, for

Christ’s sake, shallreceive no light word of approbation at the Last Great
Day. But, probably, the mass of us will have to abide in our calling and,
therefore, I would say, if we must do so, let our life be all, “forHis sake.”I
would desire never to come to this platform but, “for His sake.” Neverto say
even a word about the Gospelbut, “for His sake.”And you, in your home,
dear mother, go and bring up your children in the nurture and admonition of
the Lord, “for His sake.”Takethose dearlittle ones and present them to Him.
Say, “Jesus, I give them to You–acceptand save them. I devote them to Your
service, as Hannah gave Samuelto the Lord.” Then, “for His sake,”teach
them holiness. “ForHis sake” be patient with them and, “for His sake,”bring
them up, always, in the fear of the Lord.
You men of business, go out and labor, “for His sake.”I could almost envy
some of you who have acquired an adequate income. Keep the warehouse or
shop open, “for His sake,” andgive more largely to His cause. And you who
are not in a position of competence, but are struggling for your daily bread,
“for His sake,” neverdo a wrong thing. Sometimes, when you are half inclined
to yield to the tempter, imagine that your Savior is standing by your side and
that He puts His pierced hand upon your shoulder and says, “If you are,
indeed, bought with My blood, let there be justice in all your dealings with
your fellows. No, more, be generous as wellas just, for My sake, forI would
have you so act that all men shall know that you are My disciple.”
Perhaps some of you, who profess to be Christians, are living altogetherfor
yourselves, insteadof living unto God. When you are at home tonight, sitting
quietly in your room, alone, I could half wish that the Lord Jesus would enter
and sayto you, “I have loved you with an everlasting love, and laid down My
life for you. What are you doing for Me in return?” Suppose He lookedatyou
with those gentle, yet heart-searching eyes ofHis, and you lookedinto that
face which was marred more than any man’s, what would you say? Oh, I
think I should have to covermy face for very shame! And yet I am not living
in forgetfulness of Him and I am trying to do Him some humble service. But
as for those who do nothing, with the exception of sitting to hear sermons, or
sometimes dropping in at a Prayer Meeting, or, now and then, giving a little to
the cause ofGod–perhaps as little as they dare–oh, what would they say in His
Presence?Youwill all be in His Presence, soon!Perhaps soonerthan you
expect–andamong the sorrows that will trouble you on your deathbed, if you
are unfaithful to your Lord, will be this–that you have done so little for Him
while you had the opportunity.
When sitting by the side of one of our dying members, a poor weak girl,
wastedby consumption, I was charmed as she whispered in my ear that when

she was brought to Jesus, she had such joy that she had striven to do
something for Him but mourned that she could accomplishso little. Poor
child! She tried to teach a class ofboys and half killed herselfin the struggle
to keepthem quiet. She felt constrained, by love to her Lord, to try to do
something for Him, and as there happened to be nothing else to do, she began
to teachsome rough children who were far too wild for her. But she did not
regretit. Oh, no! I am sure, if she could be raised up, she would take to such
work, again, “for His sake.” And I am sure that any of you, if you have given
of your substance, or given of your time, or given of your abilities, “for His
sake,”will never have to say, when you are lying as she was, and breathing
out your life, “I did too much for my Savior.” You will rather bless His name
that He acceptedthe little that you could do! And like our young Sister,
mourn that it is so little comparedwith what He deserves!
I therefore say to eachone of you, Brothers and Sisters–Ifyou have, indeed,
been washedin the blood of Christ, spend yourself for Him–do not mock Him.
If it was in play that you were redeemedand if the Crucifixion was but a
sport, then go and trifle with the service of Christ. But if, indeed, the blood-
mark of a real Savior is upon you and you have been washedin the fountain
filled with His precious blood, go and live really useful, consecratedlives into
which you shall throw your whole heart and soul and strength, “for His sake!”
Who shall pile a monument worthy of the Savior who did so much, “for your
sakes?”Who shall compose a song sweetenoughfor the Christ of God who
came for our redemption? Who shall sound the trumpets loudly enoughfor
Immanuel, who, though He was rich, yet for our sakes becamepoor? Who
shall bring offerings of gold and frankincense rich enoughfor Him who gave
up all for His people? Crown Him, you angels!You seraphim, adore Him! O
God, You alone cangive Him the recompense ofhonor which He merits!
Glory be to His name forever! Let us take as our motto, from now on, these
words, “ForHis sake.”“ForHis sake,” letus put up with poverty, counting it
to be richestto be poor if He would have it so. “ForHis sake,” letus cheerfully
endure bodily sufferings, being glad if they make us more useful for Him.
“ForHis sake,”letus live in toil and die in obscurity, if so we can best glorify
Him. Let our song be that of the gifted songstress, ofwhose hymn I have
already quoted one verse–
“In suffering sore, or toilsome task,
His burden light I’ll bear;
‘For Jesus’sake'shallsweetenall,
Till His bright home I share.
And then this song more sweet, more strong,

In Heaven my harp shall wake–
Led all the way, till that gladday
Eternally, my heart shall say,
‘For Jesus sake.’”
I will close whenI have only added that if any of you have not at present any
interest in this sacrifice and this service of which my two texts speak, I have
just this word for you. It is, at least, a blessing that you are still permitted to
listen to the Gospel. Let me very briefly tell once more, “the old, old story of
Jesus and His love.” Jesus Christdied in the place of sinners. We deserved to
be punished for our sins. Under the Law of Mosesthere was no pardon for sin
exceptthrough the blood of a sacrifice. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the one
Sacrifice for sins forever, of which the thousands of bullocks and lambs slain
under the Law were but types. Every man who trusts to the death of the
Lamb of God may know that Jesus Christwas punished in His place, so that
God can be just and yet forgive the guilty. He can, without violating His
justice, remit sin and pardon iniquity because a Substitute has been found
whose death has an infinite value because ofthe Divine Nature of the Sufferer.
He has borne the iniquities of all who trust Him. “He that believes on the Son
has everlasting life.” Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall go your
way a savedsoul, even though you came into this house steepedin sin, or
through terrible convictionon the very verge of despair. God grant that many
of you may trust in Jesus this very hour, “for His sake!” Amen. PORTION
OF SCRIPTURE READ BEFORE SERMON–2Corinthians 8.HYMNS
FROM “OUR OWN HYMN BOOK”–282, 296, 709.TOTHE READERS OF
MY SERMONS:
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
COMMENTARIES
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(9) Ye know the grace ofour Lord Jesus Christ.—The meaning of the word
“grace”appears slightly modified by the context. The theologicalsenseofthe
word, so to speak, falls into the background, and that of an actof liberality
becomes prominent.

That, though he was rich, . . . he became poor.—Better, that, being rich . . .
The thought is the same as that expressedin Philippians 2:6-7, especiallyin
the words which ought to be translated He emptied Himself. He was rich in
the ineffable glory of the divine attributes, and these He renouncedfor a time
in the mystery of the Incarnation, and took our nature in all its poverty. This
is doubtless the chief thought expressed, but we can scarcelydoubt that the
words refer also to the outward aspectof our Lord’s life. He chose the lot of
the poor, almost of the beggar(the Greek word “poor” is so translated, and
rightly, in Luke 16:20-22), as Francis ofAssisiand others have done in seeking
to follow in His steps. And this He did that men might by that spectacle ofa
life of self-surrender be sharers with Him in the eternal wealth of the Spirit,
and find their treasure not in earth but heaven. As regards the outward
mendicant aspectofour Lord’s life, and that of His disciples, see Notes on
Matthew 10:10; Luke 8:1-3; John 12:6.
MacLaren's Expositions
2 Corinthians
RICH YET POOR
2 Corinthians 8:9The Apostle has been speaking about a matter which, to us,
seems very small, but to him was very greatviz., a gathering of pecuniary help
from the Gentile churches for the poor church in Jerusalem. Large issues, in
his estimation, attended that exhibition of Christian unity, and, be it greator
small, he applies the highestof all motives to this matter. ‘For ye know the
grace ofthe Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich yet for your sakes He
became poor.’ The trivial things of life are to be guided and shapedby
reference to the highest of all things, the example of Jesus Christ; and that in
the whole depth of His humiliation, and even in regardto His cross and
passion. We have here set forth, as the pattern to which the Christian life is to
be conformed, the deepestconceptionof what our Lord’s careeronearth was.
The whole Christian Church is about to celebrate the nativity of our Lord at
this time. This text gives us the true point of view from which to regard it. We
have here the work of Christ in its deepestmotive, ‘The grace of our Lord
Jesus.’We have it in its transcendent self-impoverishment, ‘Though He was

rich, yet for our sakes He became poor.’ We have it in its highest issue, ‘That
ye through His poverty might become rich.’ Let us look at those points.
I. Here we have the deepestmotive which underlies the whole work of Christ,
unveiled to us.
‘Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ Every word here is significant.
It is very unusual in the New Testamentto find that expression‘grace’applied
to Jesus Christ. Exceptin the familiar benediction, I think there are only one
or two instances of such a collocationof words. It is ‘the grace ofGod’ which,
throughout the New Testament, is the prevailing expression. But here ‘grace is
attributed to Jesus’;that is to say, the love of the Divine heart is, without
qualification or hesitation, ascribedto Him. And what do we mean by grace?
We mean love in exercise to inferiors. It is infinite condescensionin Jesus to
love. His love stoops when it embraces us. Very significant, therefore, is the
employment here of the solemn full title, ‘the Lord Jesus Christ,’which
enhances the condescensionby making prominent the height from which it
bent. The ‘grace’is all the more wonderful because ofthe majesty and
sovereignty, to saythe leastof it, which are expressedin that title, the Lord.
The highest stoops and stands upon the level of the lowest. ‘Grace’is love that
expresses itselfto those who deserve something else. And the deepestmotive,
which is the very key to the whole phenomena of the life of Jesus Christ, is
that it is all the exhibition, as it is the consequence, ofa love that, stooping,
forgives. ‘Grace’is love that, stooping and forgiving, communicates its whole
self to unworthy and transgressing recipients. And the key to the life of Jesus
is that we have set forth in its operationa love which is not content to speak
only the ordinary language ofhuman affection, or to do its ordinary deeds,
but is self-impelled to impart what transcends all other gifts of human
tenderness, and to give its very self. And so a love that condescends, a love
that passes by unworthiness, is turned away by no sin, is unmoved to any kind
of anger, and never allows its cheek to flush or its heart to beat faster, because
of any provocationand a love that is contentwith nothing short of entire
surrender and self-impartation underlies all that precious life from Bethlehem
to Calvary.
But there is another word in our text that may well be here takeninto
consideration. ‘Foryour sakes,’says the Apostle to that Corinthian church,
made up of people, not one of whom had ever seenor been seenby Jesus. And

yet the regard to them was part of the motive that moved the Lord to His life,
and His death. That is to say, to generalise the thought, this grace, thus
stooping and forgiving and self-imparting, is a love that gathers into its
embrace and to its heart all mankind; and is universal because it is
individualising. Just as eachplanet in the heavens, and eachtiny plant upon
the earth, are embraced by, and separatelyreceive, the benediction of that all-
encompassing archof the heaven, so that grace enfolds all, because it takes
accountof each. Whilst it is love for a sinful world, every soul of us may say:
‘He loved me, and’--therefore--’gave Himself for me.’ Unless we see beneath
the sweetstoryof the earthly life this deep-lying source of it all, we fail to
understand that life itself. We may bring criticism to bear upon it; we may
apprehend it in diverse affecting, elevating, educating aspects;but, oh!
brethren, we miss the blazing centre of the light, the warm heart of the fire,
unless we see pulsating through all the individual facts of the life this one, all-
shaping, all-vitalising motive; the grace--the stooping, the pardoning, the self-
communicating, the individualising, and the universal love of Jesus Christ.
So then, we have here set before us the work of Christ in its--
II. Mostmysterious and unique self-impoverishment.
‘He was . . . He became,’there is one strange contrast. ‘He was _rich_ . . . He
became _poor_,’there is another. ‘He was . . . He became.’What does that
say? Well, it says that if you want to understand Bethlehem, you must go back
to a time before Bethlehem. The meaning of Christ’s birth is only understood
when we turn to that Evangelistwho does not narrate it. For the meaning of it
is here; ‘the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us.’ The surface of the fact
is the smallestpart of the fact. They say that there is seventimes as much of
an iceberg under wateras there is above the surface. And the deepestand
most important factabout the nativity of our Lord is that it was not only the
birth of an Infant, but the Incarnation of the Word. ‘He was . . . He became.’
We have to travel back and recognise thatthat life did not begin in the
manger. We have to travel back and recognisethe mystery of godliness, God
manifest in the flesh.
And these two words ‘He was . . . He became,’imply another thing, and that
is, that Jesus Christwho died because He chose, was notpassive in His being

born, but as at the end of His earthly life, so at its beginning exercisedHis
volition, and was born because He willed, and willed because of‘the grace of
our Lord Jesus.’
Now in this connectionit is very remarkable, and well worth our pondering,
that throughout the whole of the Gospels,whenJesus speaksofHis coming
into the world, He never uses the word ‘born’ but once, and that was before
the Romangovernor, who would not have understood or caredfor anything
further, to whom He did say,’To this end was I born.’ But even when speaking
to him His consciousness thatthat word did not express the whole truth was
so strong that He could not help adding--though He knew that the hard
Roman procurator would pay no attention to the apparent tautology--the
expressionwhich more truly correspondedto the fact, ‘and for this cause
came I into the world.’ The two phrases are not parallel. They are by no
means synonymous. One expresses the outward fact; the other expresses that
which underlay it. ‘To this end was I born.’ Yes! ‘And for this cause came I.’
He Himself put it still more definitely when He said, ‘I came forth from the
Father, and am come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go unto the
Father.’So the two extremities of the earthly manifestation are neither of
them ends; but before the one, and behind the other, there stretches an
identity or oneness ofBeing and condition. The one as the other, the birth and
the death, may be regardedas, in deepestreality, not only what He passively
endured, but what He actively did. He was born, and He died, that in all
points He might be ‘like unto His brethren.’ He ‘came’into the world, and He
‘went’ to the Father. The end circled round to the beginning, and in both He
actedbecause He chose, andchose because He loved.
So much, then, lies in the one of these two antitheses of my text; and the other
is no less profound and significant. ‘He was rich; He became poor.’In this
connection‘rich’ can only mean possessedof the Divine fulness and
independence; and ‘poor’ can only mean possessedof human infirmity,
dependence, and emptiness. And so to Jesus of Nazareth, to be born was
impoverishment. If there is nothing more in His birth than in the birth of each
of us, the words are grotesquelyinappropriate to the facts of the case. Foras
betweennothingness, which is the alternative, and the possessionof conscious
being, there is surely a contrastthe very reverse of that expressedhere. For
us, to be born is to be endowed with capacities, with the wealth of intelligent,
responsible, voluntary being; but to Jesus Christ, if we acceptthe New
Testamentteaching, to be born was a step, an infinite step, downwards, and

He, alone of all men, might have been ‘ashamedto callmen brethren.’ But
this denudation of Himself, into the particulars of which I do not care to enter
now, was the result of that stooping grace which ‘counted it not a thing to be
clutched hold of, to be equal with God; but He made Himself of no reputation,
and was found in fashion as a man, and became obedient unto death, even the
death of the Cross.’
And so, dear friends, we know the measure of the stooping love of Jesus only
when we read the history by the light of this thought, that ‘though He was
rich’ with all the fulness of that eternalWord which was ‘in the beginning
with God,’ ‘He became poor,’ with the poverty, the infirmity, the liability to
temptation, the weakness,that attachto humanity; ‘and was found in all
points like unto His brethren,’ that He might be able to help and succourthem
all.
The lastthing here is--
III. The work of Christ setforth in its highest issue.
‘That we through His poverty might become rich.’ Of course, the antithetical
expressions must be taken to be used in the same sense, and with the same
width of application, in both of the clauses. And if so, just think reverently,
wonderingly, thankfully, of the infinite vista of glorious possibility that is open
to us here. Christ was rich in the possessionofthat Divine glory which Had
had with the Father before the world was. ‘He became poor,’ in assuming the
weakness ofthe manhood that you and I carry, that we, in the human poverty
which is like His poverty, may become rich with wealth that is like His riches,
and that as He stoopedto earth veiling the Divine with the human, we may
rise to heaven, clothing the human with the Divine.
For surely there is nothing more plainly taught in Scriptures, and I am bold to
say nothing to which any deep and vital Christian experience even here gives
more surely an anticipatory confirmation, than the fact that Christ became
like unto us, that eachof us may become like unto Him. The divine and the
human natures are similar, and the fact of the Incarnation, on the one hand,
and of the man’s glorificationby possessionofthe divine nature on the other,
equally rest upon that fundamental resemblance betweenthe divine nature

and the human nature which God has made in His own image. If that which in
eachof us is unlike God is clearedaway, as it can be clearedaway, through
faith in that dear Lord, then the likeness as a matter of course, comes into
force.
The law of all elevationis that whosoeverdesires to lift must stoop; and the
end of all stooping is to lift the lowly to the place from which the love hath
bent itself. And this is at once the law for the Incarnation of the Christ, and
for the elevationof the Christian. ‘We shall be like Him for we shall see Him
as He is.’ And the greatlove, the stooping, forgiving, self-communicating love,
doth not reachits ultimate issue, nor effectfully the purposes to which it ever
is tending, unless and until all who have receivedit are ‘changedfrom glory to
glory even into the image of the Lord.’ We do not understand Jesus, His
cradle, or His Cross, unless on the one hand we see in them His emptying
Himself that He might fill us, and, on the other hand, see, as the only result
which warrants them and satisfies Him, our complete conformity to His
image, and our participation in that glory which He has at the right hand of
God. That is the prospectfor humanity, and it is possible for eachof us.
I do not dwell upon other aspects ofthis greatself-emptying of our Lord’s,
such as the revelationin it to us of the very heart of God, and of the divinest
thing in the divine nature, which is love, or such as the sympathy which is
made possible thereby to Him, and which is not only the pity of a God, but the
compassionofa Brother. Nor do I touch upon many other aspects whichare
full of strengthening and teaching. That grand thought that Jesus has shared
our human poverty that we may share His divine riches is the very apex of the
New Testamentteaching, and of the Christian hope. We have within us,
notwithstanding all our transgressions,whatthe old divines used to call a
‘deiform nature,’ capable of being lifted up into the participation of divinity,
capable of being cleansedfrom all the spots and stains which make us so
unlike Him in whose likenesswe were made.
Brethren, let us not forget that this stooping, and pardoning, and self-
imparting love, has for its main instrument to appealto our hearts, not the
cradle but the Cross. We are being told by many people to-day that the centre
of Christianity lies in the thought of an Incarnation. Yes. But our Lord
Himself has told us what that was for.

‘The Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give
His life a ransom for many.’ It is only when we look to that Lord in His death,
and see there the very lowestpoint to which He stooped, and the supreme
manifestation of His grace, that we shall be drawn to yield our hearts and lives
to Him in thankfulness, in trust, and in imitation: and shall setHim before us
as the pattern for our conduct, as well as the Object of our trust.
Brethren, my text was spokenoriginally as presenting the motive and the
example for a little piece of pecuniary liability. Do you take the cradle and the
Cross as the law of your lives? For depend upon it, the same necessitywhich
obliged Jesus to come down to our level, if He would lift us to His; to live our
life and die our death, if He would make us partakers of His immortal life,
and deliver us from death; makes it absolutely necessarythat if we are to live
for anything nobler than our own poor, transitory self-aggrandisement, we
too must learn to stoopto forgive, to impart ourselves, andmust die by self-
surrender and sacrifice, if we are ever to communicate any life, or goodof life,
to others. He has loved us, and given Himself for us. He has set us therein an
example which He commends to us by His own word when He tells us that ‘if
a corn of wheat’ is to bring forth ‘much fruit’ it must die, else it ‘abideth
alone.’Unless we die, we never truly live; unless we die to ourselves forothers,
and like Jesus, we live alone in the solitude of a self-enclosedself-regard. So
living, we are dead whilst we live.
BensonCommentary
2 Corinthians 8:9. For ye know — And this knowledge is the true source of
love; the grace — The most sincere, mostfree, and most abundant love; of our
Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich — (1st,) In the glories of the divine
nature, for, (John 1:1,) the Word was God, and subsisted in the form of God,
(Php 2:6,) in the most perfect and indissoluble union with his eternalFather,
with whom he had glory before the world was, John 17:5; and by whom he
was beloved, as the only-begotten Son, before the foundation of the world, 2
Corinthians 8:24. (2d,) In the possessionofthe whole creationof God, which,
as it was made by him, (John 1:3,) so was made for him, (Colossians 1:16,)and
he was the heir and owner of it all, Hebrews 1:2. (3d,) In dominion over all
creatures;he that comethfrom above, (said the Baptist, John 3:31,) is above
all; Lord of all, Acts 10:36;over all, God blessedfor ever, Romans 9:5. All
things being upheld were also governed by him, Colossians1:17;Hebrews 1:3.
(4th,) In receiving glory from them all; all creatures being made, upheld, and
governedby him, manifested the wisdom, power, and goodness,the holiness,
justice, and grace ofhim, their greatand glorious Creator, Preserver, and

Ruler. (5th,) In receiving adoration and praise from the intelligent part of the
creation, Psalm97:7; Hebrews 1:6.
For your sakeshe became poor — Namely, in his incarnation: not, observe, in
ceasing to be what he was, the Wisdom, Word, and Song of Solomonof God,
and God, in union with his Father and the Holy Spirit; but in becoming what
before he was not, namely, man; in assuming the human nature into an
indissoluble and eternal union with the divine, John 1:14; Hebrews 2:14;
Hebrews 2:16. In doing this he became poor, 1st, In putting off the form of
God, and taking the form of a servant, appearing no longer as the Creator,
but as a creature, veiling his perfections with our flesh, and concealing his
glories from human eyes. 2d, In taking the form of a mean creature, not of an
archangelor angel, (Hebrews 2:16,) but of a man; a creature formed out of
the dust of the earth, and in consequence ofsin returning to it; and becoming
a servant to the meanestof them. I am among you, (said he;) among whom?
— Among princes? No; but among fishermen; as one that serveth. 3d, In
taking the form even of a sinful creature, being made in the likeness ofsinful
flesh, Romans 8:3. For, though without sin, he appeared as a sinner, and was
treated as such. And this likeness he assumed, 4th, Notin a state of wealth,
and honour, and felicity, but in a state of extreme poverty, and infamy, and
suffering. 5th, In this state our sins and sorrows were imputed to him, and laid
upon him, and his honour, his liberty, and his life, were takenaway, in
ignominy and torture.
That ye through his poverty might be made rich — It is implied here that we
were poor, and could not otherwise be made rich, but may in this way. When
man was first formed, he was rich in the possessionof God, and of this whole
visible creation. 1st, In the favour and friendship, the protection, care, and
bounty of his Creator; in the knowledge, love, and enjoyment of him. All this
was lostby the fall. Man became ignorant, sinful, guilty, and a child of wrath,
Ephesians 2:3; deprived of the favour, exposedto the displeasure of his God,
and subjectedto the tyranny of his lusts and passions, and of the powers of
darkness. 2d, When first made, man was the lord of this lower world; all
things on this earth being put under his feet, and made subservient to his
happiness. This is not the case now. The creature was made subjectto vanity,
and does not satisfy or make him happy while he has it, and is constantly
liable to be torn from him, and in the end he is certainly stripped of all. 3d,
Man has even losthimself; he is so poor as not to retain possessionofhis
health, or strength, or body, or soul. He has contractedan immense debt, and

is liable to be himself arrestedand thrown into the prison of eternal
destruction. His body is due to sickness,pain, and death; and his soul to the
wrath of God, and is liable to be seizedby Satan, the executionerof the divine
wrath. Such is our natural poverty! Having forfeited all, we have nothing left,
neither the Creatornor his creatures, nor even ourselves. But the Son of God
came, that, having assumedour nature, takenour sins and sufferings, and
paid our forfeit, we might yet be rich. 1st, In the favour of God, and all the
blessedeffects thereof, in time and in eternity. 2d, In being adopted into his
family, born of his Spirit, and constituted his children and his heirs. 3d, In
being restoredto his image, and endued with the gifts and graces ofhis Spirit.
4th, In being admitted to an intimate union and fellowship with him. 5th, In
having the use of God’s creatures restoredto us, blessedand sanctified, even
all things needful for life as well as godliness. 6th, In being unspeakablyhappy
with Jesus in paradise, in the intermediate state betweendeath and judgment.
7th, In having our bodies restored, and conformed to Christ’s glorious body,
at his secondcoming. 8th, In being associatedwith all the company of heaven
in the new world which the Lord will make, admitted to the vision and
enjoyment of God, and the possessionof all things, Revelation21:7; — riches,
honour, and felicity, unsearchable in degree, and eternal in duration! And all
this we have through his poverty, through his incarnation, life, death, his
resurrection, ascension, and intercession;whereby, having expiated sin, and
abolisheddeath, he hath obtained all these unspeakable blessings for such as
will acceptofthem in the way which he hath prescribed; which is, that we
acknowledge ourpoverty in true repentance and humiliation of soul before
God, and acceptof these unsearchable riches in faith, gratitude, love, and new
obedience.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
8:7-9 Faith is the root; and as without faith it is not possible to please God,
Heb 11:6, so those who abound in faith, will abound in other gracesand good
works also;and this will work and show itself by love. Greattalkers are not
always the best doers;but these Corinthians were diligent to do, as well as to
know and talk well. To all these goodthings the apostle desires them to add
this grace also, to abound in charity to the poor. The best arguments for
Christian duties, are drawn from the grace and love of Christ. Though he was
rich, as being God, equal in power and glory with the Father, yet he not only
became man for us, but became poor also. At length he emptied himself, as it
were, to ransom their souls by his sacrifice onthe cross. Fromwhat riches,
blessedLord, to what poverty didst thou descendfor our sakes!and to what

riches hast thou advanced us through thy poverty! It is our happiness to be
wholly at thy disposal.
Barnes'Notes on the Bible
For ye know ... - The apostle Paulwas accustomedto illustrate every subject,
and to enforce every duty where it could be done, by a reference to the life and
sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ. The designof this verse is apparent. It is,
to show the duty of giving liberally to the objects of benevolence, from the fact
that the Lord Jesus was willing to become poor in order that he might benefit
others. The idea is, that he who was Lord and proprietor of the universe, and
who possessedall things, was willing to leave his exalted stationin the bosom
of the Fatherand to become poor, in order that we might become rich in the
blessings ofthe gospel, in the means of grace, andas heirs of all things; and
that we who are thus benefitted, and who have such an example, should be
willing to part with our earthly possessionsin order that we may benefit
others.
The grace - The benignity, kindness, mercy, goodness. His coming in this
manner was a proof of the highestbenevolence.
Though he was rich - The riches of the Redeemerhere referred to, stand
opposedto that poverty which he assumedand manifestedwhen he dwelt
among people. It implies:
(1) His pre-existence, becausehe became poor. He had been rich. Yet not in
this world. He did not lay aside wealth here on earth after he had possessedit,
for he had none. He was not first rich and then poor on earth, for he had no
earthly wealth. The Socinianinterpretation is, that he was "rich in powerand
in the Holy Spirit;" but it was not true that he laid these aside, and that he
became poor in either of them. He had power, even in his poverty, to still the
waves, and to raise the dead, and he was always full of the Holy Spirit. His
family was poor; and his parents were poor; and he was himself poor all his
life. This then must refer to a state of antecedentriches before his assumption
of human nature; and the expressionis strikingly parallel to that in
Philippians 2:6 ff. "Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to
be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation," etc.
(2) he was rich as the Lord and proprietor of all things. He was the Creatorof
all John 1:3; Colossians1:16, and as Creatorhe had a right to all things, and

the disposalof all things. The most absolute right which canexist is that
acquired by the act of creation;and this right the Son of God possessedover
all gold, and silver, and diamonds, and pearls; over all earth and lands; over
all the treasures ofthe ocean, and over all worlds. The extent and amount of
his riches, therefore, is to be measured by the extent of his dominion over the
universe; and to estimate his riches, therefore, we are to conceive ofthe
scepterwhich he sways over the distant worlds. What wealthhas man that
can compare with the riches of the Creatorand Proprietor of all? How poor
and worthless appears all the gold that man canaccumulate compared with
the wealthof him whose are the silver, and the gold, and the cattle upon a
thousand hills?
Yet for your sakes -That is, for your sakesas a part of the greatfamily that
was to be redeemed. In what respectit was for their sake, the apostle
immediately adds when he says, it was that they might be made rich. It was
not for his own sake,but it was for ours.
He became poor - In the following respects:
(1) He chose a condition of poverty, a rank of life that was usually that of
poverty. He "took upon himself the form of a servant;" Philippians 2:7.
(2) he was connectedwith a poor family. Though of the family and lineage of
David Luke 2:4, yet the family had fallen into decay, and was poor. In the Old
Testamenthe is beautifully representedas a shoot or suckerthat starts up
from the rootof a decayedtree; see my note on Isaiah 11:1.
(3) his whole life was a life of poverty. He had no home; Luke 9:58. He chose
to be dependent on the charity of the few friends that he drew around him,
rather than to create foodfor the abundant supply of his own needs. He had
no farms or plantations; he had no splendid palaces;he had no money
hoarded in useless coffers orin banks; he had no property to distribute to his
friends. His mother he commended when he died to the charitable attention of
one of his disciples John 19:27, and all his personalproperty seems to have
been the raiment which he wore, and which was divided among the soldiers
that crucified him. Nothing is more remarkable than the difference between
the plans of the Lord Jesus and those of many of his followers and professed

friends. He formed no plan for becoming rich, and he always spoke withthe
deepestearnestnessofthe dangers which attend an effort to accumulate
property. He was among the most poor of the sons of people in his life; and
few have been the people on earth who have not had as much as he had to
leave to surviving friends, or to excite the cupidity of those who should fall
heirs to their property when dead.
(4) he died poor. He made no will in regard to his property, for he had none to
dispose of. He knew well enough the effect which would follow if he had
amassedwealth, and had left it to be divided among his followers. Theywere
very imperfect; and even around the cross there might have been anxious
discussion, and perhaps strife about it, as there is often now over the coffin
and the unclosed grave of a rich and foolishfather who has died. Jesus
intended that his disciples should never be turned awayfrom the greatwork
to which he calledthem by any wealthwhich he would leave them; and he left
them not even a keepsakeas a memorial of his name. All this is the more
remarkable from two considerations:
(a) That he had it in his power to choose the manner in which he would come.
He might have come in the condition of a splendid prince. He might have rode
in a chariot of ease, orhave dwelt in a magnificent palace. He might have lived
with more than the magnificence ofan oriental prince, and might have
bequeathed treasures greaterthan those of Croesus or Solomonto his
followers. But he chose not to do it.
(b) It would have been as right and proper for him to have amassedwealth,
and to have sought princely possessions, as forany of his followers. Whatis
right for them would have been right for him. People often mistake on this
subject; and though it cannotbe demonstrated that all his followers should
aim to be as poor as he was, yet it is undoubtedly true that he meant that his
example should operate constantlyto check their desire of amassing wealth.
In him it was voluntary; in us there should be always a readiness to be poor if
such be the will of God; nay, there should he rather a preference to be in
moderate circumstances that we may thus be like the Redeemer.
That ye through his poverty might be rich - That is, might have durable and
eternal riches, the riches of God's everlasting favor. This includes:

continued...
Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBible Commentary
9. ye know the grace—the actofgratuitous love whereby the Lord emptied
Himself of His previous heavenly glory (Php 2:6, 7) for your sakes.
became poor—Yet this is not demanded of you (2Co 8:14); but merely that,
without impoverishing yourselves, you should relieve others with your
abundance. If the Lord did so much more, and at so much heavier a cost, for
your sakes;much more may you do an act of love to your brethren at so little
a sacrifice ofself.
might be rich—in the heavenly glory which constitutes His riches, and all
other things, so far as is really goodfor us (compare 1Co 3:21, 22).
Matthew Poole's Commentary
For ye know the grace ofour Lord Jesus Christ; call to mind the free love of
your Lord and MasterJesus Christ, which you know, believing the gospel,
which gives you a true accountof it, and having in your own souls experienced
the blessedeffects ofit:
He was rich, being the Heir of all things, the Lord of the whole creation,
Hebrews 1:2, all things were put under his feet.
Yet for your sakes he became poor; yet that he might accomplishthe work of
your redemption, and purchase his Father’s love for you, he took upon him
the form of a servant, stripped himself of his robes of glory, and clothed
himself with the rags of flesh, denied himself in the use of his creatures, had
not where to lay down his head, was maintained from alms, people
ministering to him of their substance.
That ye through his poverty might be rich; and all this that you might be
made rich, with the riches of grace and glory; rich in the love of God, and in
the habits of Divine grace;which was all effectedby his poverty, by his
making himself of no reputation, and humbling himself. If after your

knowledge ofthis, by receiving and believing the gospel, and experiencing
this, in those riches of spiritual gifts and graces andhopes of glory which you
have, you shall yet be found strait hearted in compassionating the poverty and
afflicted state of his poor members, or strait-handed in ministering unto them,
how will you in any measure answerthis greatlove, or conform to this great
example?
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
For ye know the grace ofour Lord Jesus,.... This is a new argument, and a
very forcible one to engage to liberality, takenfrom the wonderful grace and
love of Christ, displayed in his state of humiliation towards his people; which
is well known to all them that have truly believed in Christ; of this they are
not and cannot be ignorant, his love, goodwill, and favour are so manifest;
there are such glaring proofs of it in his incarnation, sufferings, and death,
that leave no room for any to doubt of it:
that though he was rich; in the perfections of his divine nature, having the
fulness of the Godhead in him, all that the Father has, and so equal to him;
such as eternity, immutability, infinity and immensity, omnipresence,
omniscience, omnipotence, &c. in the works ofhis hands, which reach to
everything that is made, the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all that in them
are, things visible and invisible; in his universal empire and dominion over all
creature;and in those large revenues of glory, which are due to him from
them all; which riches of his are underived from another, incommunicable to
another, and cannot be lost:
yet for your sakes he became poor; by assuming human nature, with all its
weaknessesand imperfections excepting sin; he appearedin it not as a lord,
but in the form of a servant; he endured in it a greatdeal of reproachand
shame, and at last death itself; not that by becoming man he ceasedto be God,
or lost his divine perfections, thought these were much hid and coveredfrom
the view of man; and in his human nature he became the reverse of what he is
in his divine nature, namely, finite and circumscriptible, weak and infirm,
ignorant of some things, and mortal; in which nature also he was exposedto
much meanness and outward poverty; he was born of poor parents, had no
liberal education, was brought up to a trade, had not where to lay his head,
was ministered to by others of their substance, and had nothing to bequeath
his mother at his death, but commits her to the care of one of his disciples;all
which fulfilled the prophecies of him, that he should be and "poor" and
"low", Psalm41:1. The persons for whom he became so, were not the angels,

but electmen; who were sinners and ungodly persons, and were thereby
become bankrupts and beggars:the end for which he became poor for them
was,
that they through his poverty might be rich; not in temporals, but in
spirituals; and by his obedience, sufferings, and death in his low estate, he has
paid all their debts, wrought out a robe of righteousness, richand adorned
with jewels, with which he clothes them, and through his blood and sacrifice
has made them kings and priests unto God. They are enriched by him with the
graces ofhis Spirit; with the truths of the Gospel, comparable to gold, silver,
and precious stones;with himself and all that he has;with the riches of grace
here, and of glory hereafter. These are communicable from him, though
unsearchable, and are solid and substantial, satisfying, lasting, and for ever.
Now if this grace ofChrist will not engage to liberality with cheerfulness,
nothing will.
Geneva Study Bible
{4} Forye know the grace ofour Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich,
yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.
(4) The fourth argument taken from the example of Christ.
EXEGETICAL(ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Meyer's NT Commentary
2 Corinthians 8:9. Parenthesis which states whatholy reasonhe has for
speaking to them, not κατʼἐπιταγήν, but in the way just mentioned, that of
testing their love. For you know, indeed (γινώσκετε not imperative, as
Chrysostomand others think), what a high pattern of gracious kindness you
have experiencedin yourselves from Jesus Christ. So the testing, which I have
in view among you, will only be imitation of Christ. Olshausenrejects here the
conceptionof pattern, and finds the proof of possibility: “Since Christ by His
becoming poor has made you rich, you also may communicate of your riches;
He has placed you in a position to do so.” The outward giving, namely,
presupposes the disposition to give as an internal motive, without which it
would not take place. But in this view πλουτήσητε would of necessityapply to
riches in loving dispositions, which, however, is not suggestedatall in the
context, since in point of fact the consciousnessofevery believing readerled

him to think of the whole fulness of the Messianic blessingsas the aim of
Christ’s humiliation, and to place in that the riches meant by πλουτήσητε.
ὅτι διʼ ὑμᾶς κ.τ.λ.]that He for your sakes, etc., epexegeticalofτὴν χάριν τ.
κυρ. ἡμ. Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. The emphatic διʼ ὑμᾶς brings home to the believing
consciousnessofthe readers individually the aim, which in itself was universa.
ἐπτώχευσε] inasmuch as He by His humiliation to become incarnate emptied
Himself of the participation, which He had in His pre-existent state, of God’s
glory, dominion, and blessedness(πλούσιος ὤν), Php 2:6. On the meaning of
the word, comp. LXX. Jdg 6:6; Jdg 14:15; Psalm34:10; Psalm79:8; Proverbs
23:21;Tob 4:21; Antiphanes in Becker’s Anecd. 112. 24. The aoristdenotes
the once-occurring entrance into the condition of being poor, and therefore
certainly the having become poor (although πτωχεύειν, as also the classical
πενέσθαι, does not mean to become poor, but to be[271]poor), and not the
whole life led by Christ in poverty and lowliness, during which He was
nevertheless rich in grace, rich in inward blessings;so Baur[272]and Köstlin,
Lehrbegr. d. Joh. p. 310, also Beyschlag, Christol. p. 237. On the other hand,
see Raebiger, Christol. Paul. p. 38 f.; Neander, ed. 4, p. 801 f.; Lechler, Apost.
Zeit. p. 50 f.; Weiss, Bibl. Theol. pp. 312, 318.
ὤν] is the imperfect participle: when He was rich, and does not denote the
abiding possession(Estius, Rückert);for, according to the context, the apostle
is not speaking ofwhat Christ is, but of what He was,[273]before He became
man, and ceasedto be on His self-exinanition in becoming man (Galatians 4:4;
this also in oppositionto Philippi, Glaubensl. IV. p. 447). So also ὑπάρχων,
Php 2:6.
ἽΝΑ ὙΜΕῖς … ΠΛΟΥΤΉΣΗΤΕ]in order that you through His poverty
might become rich. These riches are the reconciliation, justification,
illumination, sanctification, peace,joy, certainty of eternallife, and thereafter
this life itself, in short, the whole sum of spiritual and heavenly blessings
(comp. Chrysostom) which Christ has obtained for believers by His
humiliation even to the death of the cross. Πλουτεῖνmeans with the Greek
writers, and in the N. T. (Romans 10:12;Luke 12:21), to be rich; but the
aorist(1 Corinthians 4:8) is to be takenas with ἐπτώχευσε. Ἐκείνου, instead

of the simple ΑὐΤΟῦ (Krüger, ad Xen. Anab. iv. 3. 30;Dissen, ad Dem. de cor.
p. 276, 148), has greatemphasis:“magnitudinem Domini innuit,” Bengel.
In opposition to the interpretation of our passage,by which ἐπτώχ. falls into
the historicallife, so that πλούσιος ὤν is taken potentialiter as denoting the
powerto take to Himself riches and dominion, which, however, Jesus has
renounced and has subjected Himself to poverty and self-denial (so Grotius
and de Wette), see on Php 2:6.
[271]As e.g. βασιλεύειν, to be king, but ἐβασίλευσα:I have become king.
Comp. 1 Corinthians 4:8; and see in general, Kühner, ad Xen. Mem. i. 1. 18;
also Ernesti, Urspr. d. Sünde, I. p. 245.
[272]Comp. his neut. Theol. p. 193:“though in Himself as respects His right
rich, He lived poor.”
[273]Comp. Rich. Schmidt, Paul. Christol. p. 144.
Expositor's Greek Testament
2 Corinthians 8:9. γινώσκετε γὰρκ.τ.λ.: for ye know the grace, i.e., the actof
grace, ofour Lord Jesus Christ, that being rich, sc., in His pre-existent state
before the Incarnation, yet for your sakes(cf. Romans 15:3) He became poor,
sc., in that κένωσις which the Incarnation involved (Php 2:5-6), (the aor.
marks a def. point of time, “He became poor,” not “He was poor”), in order
that ye by His poverty, i.e., His assumption of man’s nature, might be rich,
i.e., in the manifold graces ofthe Incarnation (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:5). This
verse is parenthetical, introduced to give the highest example of love and self-
sacrifice for others;there is nowhere in St. Paul a more definite statementof
his belief in the pre-existence ofChrist before His Incarnation (cf. John 17:5).
It has been thought that ἐπτώχευσε carries an allusion to the poverty of the
Lord’s earthly life (Matthew 8:20); but the primary reference cannotbe to
this, for the πτωχεία of Jesus Christby which we are “made rich” is not the
mere hardship and penury of His outward lot, but the state which He assumed
in becoming man.
Cambridge Bible for Schools andColleges
9. Forye know the grace ofour Lord Jesus Christ] In St Paul’s eyes “Christis
the reference foreverything. To Christ’s life and Christ’s Spirit St Paul refers

all questions, both practical and speculative, for solution.” Robertson. For
grace see above, 2 Corinthians 8:4; 2 Corinthians 8:6. Tyndale and some of
the other versions render it here by liberality, and Estius interprets by
beneficentia.
though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor] Rather, being rich (cf.
John 3:13 in the Greek and ch. 2 Corinthians 11:31). There is no was in the
original. Jesus Christdid not ceaseto be rich when He made Himself poor. He
did not cease to be God when He became Man. For became poor we should
perhaps translate, made Himself a beggar. The aoristrefers to the moment
when He became Man; and the word translated poor seems rather to require
a strongerword. (“Apostolus non dixit pauper sedegenus. Plus est egenum
esse quam pauperem.” Estius.)The word (which seems “to have almost
supersededthe common word for poverty in the N.T.” Stanley)is connected
with the rootto fly, to fall, and yet more closelywith the idea of cowering, and
seems to indicate a more abjectcondition than mere poverty. For the word,
see Matthew 5:3, also ch. 2 Corinthians 6:10, and 2 Corinthians 8:2 of this
chapter. Forthe idea cf. Matthew 8:20; Php 2:6-8.
that ye through his poverty might be rich] We could only attain to God by His
bringing Himself down to our level. See John 1:9-14;John 1:18; John 12:45;
John 14:9; Colossians1:15;Hebrews 1:3. And by thus putting Himself on an
equality with us He enriched us with all the treasures that dwell in Him. Cf.
Ephesians 1:7-8; Ephesians 2:5-7; Ephesians 3:16-19;Colossians 2:2-3, &c., as
well as Php 2:6-8 just cited.
Bengel's Gnomen
2 Corinthians 8:9. Γινώσκετε γὰρ, for ye know) by that knowledge, which
ought to include love.—χάριν, the grace)love most sincere, abundant, and
free.—ἐπτώχευσε, He became poor) He bore the burden of poverty; and yet
this is not demanded from you: 2 Corinthians 8:14.—ἐκείνου, ofHim, His)
This intimates the previous greatness ofthe Lord.—πτωχείᾳ πλουτήσητε,
through His poverty ye might be rich) So through the instrumentality of all
those things, which the Lord has suffered, the contrary benefits have been
procured for us, 1 Peter2:24, end of ver.
Pulpit Commentary
Verse 9. - The grace ofour Lord Jesus Christ. The word "grace,"as in vers. 4,
6, 7, here means "gracious beneficence." Thoughhe was rich (John 16:15;

Ephesians 3:8). Became poor. The aorist implies the concentrationof his self-
sacrifice in a single act. By his poverty. The word "his" in the Greek implies
the greatnessofChrist. The word for "poverty" would, in classicalGreek,
mean "pauperism" or "mendicancy." DeanStanley (referring to Milman's
'Latin Christianity,' 5. bk. 12. c. 6) points out how large a place this verse
occupiedin the mediaeval controversiesbetweenthe moderate and the
extreme members of the mendicant orders. William of Ockhamand others,
taking the word "poverty" in its extremest sense, maintained that the
Franciscansoughtto possess nothing; but Pope John XXII., with the
Dominicans, took a more rational view of the sense and of the historic facts.
Vincent's Word Studies
He became poor (ἐπτώχευσεν)
Only here in the New Testament. Primarily of abjectpoverty, beggary(see on
Matthew 5:3), though used of poverty generally. "Became poor" is correct,
though some render "was poor," and explain that Christ was both rich and
poor simultaneously; combining divine power and excellence withhuman
weakness andsuffering. But this idea is foreignto the generaldrift of the
passage. The other explanation falls in better with the key-note - an act of self-
devotion - in 2 Corinthians 8:5. The aorist tense denotes the entrance into the
condition of poverty, and the whole accords with the magnificent passage,
Philippians 2:6-8. Stanley has some interesting remarks on the influence of
this passagein giving rise to the orders of mendicant friars. See Dante,
"Paradiso,"xi., 40-139;xii., 130 sqq.
STUDYLIGHTRESOURCES
Adam Clarke Commentary
For ye know the grace ofour Lord Jesus Christ - This was the strongest
argument of all; and it is urged home by the apostle with admirable address.
Ye know - Ye are acquainted with God's ineffable love in sending Jesus Christ
into the world; and ye know the grace - the infinite benevolence of Christ
himself.

That, though he was rich - The possessor,as he was the creator, of the heavens
and the earth; for your sakes he became poor - he emptied himself, and made
himself of no reputation, and took upon himself the form of a servant, and
humbled himself unto death, even the death of the cross;that ye, through his
poverty - through his humiliation and death, might be rich - might regain
your forfeited inheritance, and be enriched with every grace of his Holy
Spirit, and brought at last to his eternal glory.
If Jesus Christ, as some contend, were only a mere man, in what sense could
he be said to be rich? His family was poor in Bethlehem; his parents were very
poor also;he himself never possessedany property among men from the
stable to the cross;nor had he any thing to bequeath at his death but his
peace. And in what way could the poverty of one man make a multitude rich?
These are questions which, on the Socinian scheme, cannever be satisfactorily
answered.
Copyright Statement
These files are public domain.
Bibliography
Clarke, Adam. "Commentary on 2 Corinthians 8:9". "The Adam Clarke
Commentary". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/acc/2-
corinthians-8.html. 1832.
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Albert Barnes'Notes onthe Whole Bible
For ye know … - The apostle Paul was accustomedto illustrate every subject,
and to enforce every duty where it could be done, by a reference to the life and
sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ. The designof this verse is apparent. It is,
to show the duty of giving liberally to the objects of benevolence, from the fact
that the Lord Jesus was willing to become poor in order that he might benefit
others. The idea is, that he who was Lord and proprietor of the universe, and
who possessedall things, was willing to leave his exalted stationin the bosom
of the Fatherand to become poor, in order that we might become rich in the
blessings ofthe gospel, in the means of grace, andas heirs of all things; and

that we who are thus benefitted, and who have such an example, should be
willing to part with our earthly possessionsin order that we may benefit
others.
The grace - The benignity, kindness, mercy, goodness. His coming in this
manner was a proof of the highestbenevolence.
Though he was rich - The riches of the Redeemerhere referred to, stand
opposedto that poverty which he assumedand manifestedwhen he dwelt
among people. It implies:
(1) His pre-existence, becausehe became poor. He had been rich. Yet not in
this world. He did not lay aside wealth here on earth after he had possessedit,
for he had none. He was not first rich and then poor on earth, for he had no
earthly wealth. The Socinianinterpretation is, that he was “rich in powerand
in the Holy Spirit;” but it was not true that he laid these aside, and that he
became poor in either of them. He had power, even in his poverty, to still the
waves, and to raise the dead, and he was always full of the Holy Spirit. His
family was poor; and his parents were poor; and he was himself poor all his
life. This then must refer to a state of antecedentriches before his assumption
of human nature; and the expressionis strikingly parallel to that in Philemon
2:6 ff. “Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with
God, but made himself of no reputation,” etc.
(2) he was rich as the Lord and proprietor of all things. He was the Creatorof
all John 1:3; Colossians1:16, and as Creatorhe had a right to all things, and
the disposalof all things. The most absolute right which canexist is that
acquired by the act of creation;and this right the Son of God possessedover
all gold, and silver, and diamonds, and pearls; over all earth and lands; over
all the treasures ofthe ocean, and over all worlds. The extent and amount of
his riches, therefore, is to be measured by the extent of his dominion over the
universe; and to estimate his riches, therefore, we are to conceive ofthe
scepterwhich he sways over the distant worlds. What wealthhas man that
can compare with the riches of the Creatorand Proprietor of all? How poor
and worthless appears all the gold that man canaccumulate compared with
the wealthof him whose are the silver, and the gold, and the cattle upon a
thousand hills?

Yet for your sakes -That is, for your sakesas a part of the greatfamily that
was to be redeemed. In what respectit was for their sake, the apostle
immediately adds when he says, it was that they might be made rich. It was
not for his own sake,but it was for ours.
He became poor - In the following respects:
(1) He chose a condition of poverty, a rank of life that was usually that of
poverty. He “took upon himself the form of a servant;” Philemon 2:7.
(2) he was connectedwith a poor family. Though of the family and lineage of
David Luke 2:4, yet the family had fallen into decay, and was poor. In the Old
Testamenthe is beautifully representedas a shoot or suckerthat starts up
from the rootof a decayedtree; see my note on Isaiah 11:1.
(3) his whole life was a life of poverty. He had no home; Luke 9:58. He chose
to be dependent on the charity of the few friends that he drew around him,
rather than to create foodfor the abundant supply of his own needs. He had
no farms or plantations; he had no splendid palaces;he had no money
hoarded in useless coffers orin banks; he had no property to distribute to his
friends. His mother he commended when he died to the charitable attention of
one of his disciples John 19:27, and all his personalproperty seems to have
been the raiment which he wore, and which was divided among the soldiers
that crucified him. Nothing is more remarkable than the difference between
the plans of the Lord Jesus and those of many of his followers and professed
friends. He formed no plan for becoming rich, and he always spoke withthe
deepestearnestnessofthe dangers which attend an effort to accumulate
property. He was among the most poor of the sons of people in his life; and
few have been the people on earth who have not had as much as he had to
leave to surviving friends, or to excite the cupidity of those who should fall
heirs to their property when dead.
(4) he died poor. He made no will in regard to his property, for he had none to
dispose of. He knew well enough the effectwhich would follow if he had
amassedwealth, and had left it to be divided among his followers. Theywere

very imperfect; and even around the cross there might have been anxious
discussion, and perhaps strife about it, as there is often now over the coffin
and the unclosed grave of a rich and foolishfather who has died. Jesus
intended that his disciples should never be turned awayfrom the greatwork
to which he calledthem by any wealthwhich he would leave them; and he left
them not even a keepsakeas a memorial of his name. All this is the more
remarkable from two considerations:
(a) That he had it in his power to choose the manner in which he would come.
He might have come in the condition of a splendid prince. He might have rode
in a chariot of ease, or have dwelt in a magnificent palace. He might have lived
with more than the magnificence ofan oriental prince, and might have
bequeathed treasures greaterthan those of Croesus or Solomonto his
followers. But he chose not to do it.
(b) It would have been as right and proper for him to have amassedwealth,
and to have sought princely possessions, as forany of his followers. Whatis
right for them would have been right for him. People often mistake on this
subject; and though it cannotbe demonstrated that all his followers should
aim to be as poor as he was, yet it is undoubtedly true that he meant that his
example should operate constantlyto check their desire of amassing wealth.
In him it was voluntary; in us there should be always a readiness to be poor if
such be the will of God; nay, there should he rather a preference to be in
moderate circumstances that we may thus be like the Redeemer.
That ye through his poverty might be rich - That is, might have durable and
eternal riches, the riches of God‘s everlasting favor. This includes:
(1) The present possessionofan interest in the Redeemerhimself. “Do you see
these extended fields?” said the ownerof a vast plantation to a friend. “They
are mine. All this is mine.” “Do you see yonder poor cottage?” was the reply
of the friend as he directed his attention to the abode of a poor widow. “She
has more than all this. She has Christ as her portion; and that is more than
all.” He who has an interest in the Redeemerhas a possessionthat is of more
value than all that princes can bestow.

(2) the heirship of an eternalinheritance, the prospectof immortal glory;
Romans 8:17.
(3) everlasting treasures in heaven. Thus, the Saviourcompares the heavenly
blessings to treasures;Matthew 6:20. Eternal and illimitable wealth is theirs
in heaven; and to raise us to that blessedinheritance was the designof the
Redeemerin consenting to become poor. This, the apostle says, was to he
securedby his poverty. This includes probably the two following things,
namely,
(a) That it was to be by the moral influence of the fact that he was poor that
people were to be blessedhe designedby his example to counteractthe effect
of wealth; to teachpeople that this was not the thing to be aimed at; that there
were more important purposes of life than to obtain money; and to furnish a
perpetual reproof of those who are aiming to amass riches. The example of the
Redeemerthus stands before the whole church and the world as a living and
constantmemorial of the truth that people need other things than wealth;and
that there are objects that demand their time and influence other than the
accumulation of property. It is well to have such an example; well to have
before us the example of one who never formed any plan for gain, and who
constantly lived above the world. In a world where gain is the great object,
where all people are forming plans for it, it is wellto have one great model
that shall continually demonstrate the folly of it, and that shall point to better
things.
(b) The word “poverty” here may include more than a mere lack of property.
It may mean all the circumstances ofhis low estate and humble condition; his
sufferings and his woes. The whole train of his privations was included in this;
and the idea is, that he gave himself to this lowly condition in order that by his
sufferings he might procure for us a part in the kingdom of heaven. His
poverty was a part of the sufferings included in the work of the atonement.
For it was not the sufferings of the garden merely, or the pangs of the cross,
that constituted the atonement; it was the series ofsorrows and painful acts of
humiliation which so thickly crowded his life. By all these he designedthat we
should be made rich; and in view of all these the argument of the apostle is, we
should be willing to deny ourselves to do goodto others.

Copyright Statement
These files are public domain.
Bibliography
Barnes, Albert. "Commentaryon 2 Corinthians 8:9". "Barnes'Notesonthe
Whole Bible". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/bnb/2-
corinthians-8.html. 1870.
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The Biblical Illustrator
2 Corinthians 8:9
For ye know the grace ofour Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich.
What we know through knowing the grace ofour Lord Jesus Christ
I. How do we know it. “Ye know.”
1. There are records which establishthe fact--the gospels,epistles, etc., the
burden of all of which is, “He was rich, yet for your sakes,” etc. The contents
may be classifiedthus--
2. There are the fathers who acceptedand expounded the fact.
3. Through all the entanglements of controversyin the history of the Church
this factand doctrine remains undisturbed.
4. The continuity of the Church has no other solution but this. “He was rich,”
etc.

II. What is the fact which we know.
1. The person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. His pre-existence (John 17:5)--rich in the Father’s love and in the plenitude
of power.
3. His incarnation (John 1:14). “He became poor.” He descendedinto the
lowestrank amongstcreatedintelligences, andin that rank was the poorestof
the poor.
4. The purpose. “That we might be made rich.” He descendedfrom His throne
that we might ascendto it.
5. This was all prompted by grace. Infinite love finds its highestjoy in giving
itself to enrich others.
III. What do we come to know through knowing this? There are many truths
which are valuable, not merely in themselves, but also on account of the
further knowledge we acquire through them--e.g., to know how to secure the
best microscope is of value in this sense, so with the telescope. There are four
fields of knowledge openedup by our knowledge ofthe grace ofChrist.
1. The infinite love of God (Romans 5:8).
2. The value of man in the eye of Heaven.
3. The Divine consecrationof self-sacrifice.
4. The Divine lever by which God would lift the world.

IV. This addition to our knowledge oughtto be the means of greaterfulness in
our life. Knowing this fact our response should be--
1. Loyalty.
2. Joy.
3. Elevationand holiness.
4. Earnestnessin commending it to others. (C. Clemance, D. D.)
The grace ofour Lord Jesus Christ
I. The original greatness ofChrist. “He was rich.” When? Not during His life
upon the earth. It could not be said that He was born rich. Neither did He
acquire wealth. It must have been then at some other time. We take, therefore,
the term “rich” to designate “the glory which Christ had with the Father
before the world was.” NotHis Godhead, but its manifestedsplendour. When
Peterthe Greatwrought as a common shipwright he did not ceaseto be the
autocratof Russia, but his royalty was veiled. So the Lord did not lay aside
His deity, but the advantages of it.
II. The lowliness ofHis after lot. Marvellous condescension!
III. His purpose. Three things are implied--
1. That men are poor in respectof the spiritual riches. Intellectually the mind
of the sinner may be wellfurnished, but he has no knowledge ofGod, no peace
with God, no portion in God.

2. Christ became poor in order to enrich men, to bring us pardon, purity,
peace, and happiness.
3. These riches come to us through the poverty which Christ endured. He
could not have enriched us if He had not thus emptied Himself, for our
poverty had its root in our sin, and that sin had to be atoned for before we
could be blessed(cf., 2 Corinthians 5:21)
. (W. M. Taylor, D. D.)
The grace ofChrist
I. A factstated. That Christ being rich became poor.
1. He was rich in the possessionofthe ineffable glory which He had with the
Father before all worlds (John 17:5; John 1:1; Hebrews 2:14-16). ThoughHe
could not change the attributes of His nature, He suspended their glorious
manifestation. This was a voluntary act;He existedin such a mode that He
had the power to lay aside His effulgence.
2. He was rich not only in glory but in virtue. He was the object of supreme
complacencywith the Fatherfor His immaculate perfection. This character
could not be put off, yet His relative position to law was altered. Though He
could not become poor in the sense ofbeing a sinner, He did in the sense of
being treated like one. He was regardedby the law as a debtor, and His life
was the forfeit of such moral poverty.
II. The designto be accomplished. “Thatwe through His poverty might be
made rich.”
1. We were poor--
2. Christ became poor, and so made us rich--

III. The knowledge whichyou are supposed to possessofall this. “Ye know.”
1. You know it is true. This is an appeal to judgment and reason, guided by
evidence in support of the truth.
2. You know it in yourselves, as enriching you now. You have tasted that the
Lord is gracious.
3. You know it as the ground on which all your hopes are built for futurity,
the source from which you derive grace upon earth, and to which you feel
yourselves to be indebted for all the honour and glory which eternity will
disclose.
This is an appeal to Christian consistency, forit is only the consistent
Christian that can feel the confidence that he is standing upon this rock, who
can look forward now in time to what eternity will disclose.In conclusion,
learn--
1. The importance which it becomes us to attachto all matters which are
matters of pure revelation, of which this subjectis one.
2. The actual necessitythat there is for the doctrines of the Cross to give
coherencyand consistencyto the whole system of revealedtruth.
3. How grace is exercisedtowards us; and then you learn the claims which
Christ has upon our affections and our gratitude.
4. The necessitythat there is for your examining into the extent, the accuracy,
and the influence of your knowledge ofreligious truth. What a shame it would
be if, when the language were addressedto you, “You know this,” you were to
reply, “No, I do not know it; I have never read nor thought of it.”

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