Ver. 9. “For ye know the grace of
our Lord, that though He was rich, yet for our sakes He became poor, that we
through His poverty might become rich.”
‘For have in mind,’ says he,
‘ponder and consider the grace of God and do not lightly pass it by, but aim at
realizing the greatness of it both as to extent and nature, and thou wilt
grudge nothing of thine. He emptied Himself of His glory that ye, not through
His riches but through His poverty, might be rich. If thou believest not that
poverty is productive of riches, have in mind thy Lord and thou wilt doubt no
longer. For had He not become poor, thou wouldest not have become rich. For
this is the marvel, that poverty hath made riches rich.’ And by riches here he
meaneth the knowledge of godliness, the cleansing away of sins, justification,
sanctification, the countless good things which He bestowed upon us and
purposeth to bestow. And all these things accrued to us through His poverty.
What poverty? Through His taking flesh on Him and becoming man and suffering
what He suffered. And yet he owed not this, but thou dost owe to Him. (John
Chrysostom, Homilies on Second Corinthians, Homily XVII [NPNF1 12:360])
