Why desirest thou to follow Me for the sake of riches and
worldly gain, since I am so poor that I have not even the smallest
dwelling-place, and I am sheltered by a roof that is not Mine?" And
on Matt. 17:26: "That we may not scandalize them, go to the sea,"
Jerome says: "This incident, taken literally, affords edification to
those who hear it when they are told that our Lord was so poor that
He had not the wherewithal to pay the tax for Himself and His
apostles."

_I answer that,_ It was fitting for Christ to lead a life of poverty
in this world. First, because this was in keeping with the duty of
preaching, for which purpose He says that He came (Mk. 1:38): "Let us
go into the neighboring towns and cities, that I may preach there
also: for to this purpose am I come." Now in order that the preachers
of God's word may be able to give all their time to preaching, they
must be wholly free from care of worldly matters: which is impossible
for those who are possessed of wealth. Wherefore the Lord Himself,
when sending the apostles to preach, said to them (Matt. 10:9): "Do
not possess gold nor silver." And the apostles (Acts 6:2) say: "It is
not reasonable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables."

Secondly, because just as He took upon Himself the death of the body
in order to bestow spiritual life on us, so did He bear bodily
poverty, in order to enrich us spiritually, according to 2 Cor. 8:9:
"You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: that . . . He became
poor for our [Vulg.: 'your'] sakes that through His poverty we
[Vulg.: 'you'] might be rich."

Thirdly, lest if He were rich His preaching might be ascribed to
cupidity. Wherefore Jerome says on Matt. 10:9, that if the disciples
had been possessed of wealth, "they had seemed to preach for gain,
not for the salvation of mankind." And the same reason applies to
Christ.

Fourthly, that the more lowly He seemed by reason of His poverty, the
greater might the power of His Godhead be shown to be. Hence in a
sermon of the Council of Ephesus (P. iii, c. ix) we read: "He chose
all that was poor and despicable, all that was of small account and
hidden from the majority, that we might recognize His Godhead to have
transformed the terrestrial sphere. For this reason did He choose a
poor maid for His Mother, a poorer birthplace; for this reason did He
live in want. Learn this from the manger."

Reply Obj. 1: Those who wish to live virtuously need to avoid
abun