Kleptomaniac

Where did Jesus’ ministry resources come from? The Scriptures give eight sources of possible income for the moneybag carried by Judas. The following Scriptures will show that Jesus never asked the synagogue congregants for free-will offerings. Nor do we see the synagogue leaders asking people to make offerings to Jesus. The custom in Jesus’ time involved charity and taking care of the needs of travelers including those who preached?

1. Matthew 9:10 says, “While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax-collectors and sinners, came and ate with him and his disciples” (NIV). It is clear the disciples used their homes to support Jesus’ ministry. Notice that many people were eating in Matthew’s house and someone had to prepare the food. The disciples provided the support of food and lodging. Mark 2:15 says, “While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him” (NIV). Luke 5:29 says, “Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them” (NIV). If you do a little research, you will discover that the tax collectors worked for the Roman Empire. Levi accepted the call of Christ and subsequently threw a big party for Jesus with great openness. In this event, Levi uses his personal wealth to pay for a banquet and lodging to support Jesus’ ministry and the disciples.

2. Mark 1:29-31 says, “As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her. So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them” (NIV). Again, Jesus and the entourage left the synagogue. This context shows support comes from the residence of the disciple—Simon. His mother-in-law waited on them after Jesus healed her fever. Jesus was there at the synagogue by invitation of the synagogue leadership when He and the disciples visited Capernaum. Remember, the tithe could not go the synagogue, but only to the Levites. Look at what happened when the people left the synagogue. They all went to Simon’s house. Again we see a disciple using his home to support the ministry of Jesus. If you ever read the New Testament without theological bias, you’ll see that many healings happened in private homes and not exclusively at the synagogue. Wow! That throws out any false assumption that you have to go to church to be healed or touched by the Father. You can be healed at home and this is important because Jesus and His disciples founded the house-to-house church ministry.

3. Luke 19:2-6 says, “A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being short man he could not because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today. So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly” (NIV84). Again, Zacchaeus provided his home to house and feed Jesus. These men were not poor but wealthy men with abundant resources. Even after Jesus death, we see in John 19:35-42 that Joseph of Arimathea, a rich man and a disciple provided an expensive tomb for the Messiah’s burial. Again, rich people supported Jesus’ ministry not tithers. Joseph of Arimathia contributed his personal tomb and Zacchaeus provided lodging for Jesus. These men belonged to the upper class (Matthew 27:57-58). Do any of these examples show that people tithed to Jesus? No! However, what we see is that disciples gave of their free will to support Christ’s ministry.

4. This next Bible verse is more than enough proof that Christ received support from freewill offerings and personal donations but never from a tithing requirement. Jesus received support from many women followers in Mat 27:55-56 and it states, “Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons” (NIV). The followers of Christ provided support for the ministry out of love without following a tithing obligation. Luke 8:1-4 is a clear example where Jesus received support from His followers, but it was out of their own means and not from a tithe. Follow what the Bible says and not what man says: “After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them [Jesus and the Disciples] out of their own means” [money] (NIV). This passage is clear that well-to-do women supported the ministry of Christ out of their personal means rather than tithes. Nowhere do we see Jesus ask the synagogue to support His ministry with honorariums or any other fundraising methods. Based on the text of the verse, if Jesus received tithes, then the verse would read the women “…were helping support them (Jesus and the Disciples) out of their tithes.” Freewill offerings supported Christ and the disciples. Because the women who traveled with Jesus were not farmers, they could not tithe because they did not possess the required substance of the tithe, so they gave according to their means. In the KJV of Luke 8:3, the word substance is used. Substance in the Greek is Strong’s #5224 and is a noun and it means “huparchonta.” The people and the women supported Jesus from their possessions including property. Even though the text talks about financial donations, the money is not considered tithes.