With his occupational skills and freewill offerings, Jesus funded his ministry. It was never mentioned in the bible that Jesus collected tithes. This biblical fact may surprise the advocates of tithe who affirm that God requires ten per cent of a Christian’s income.
Jesus was very clear about the purpose of his ministry. His main mission was to spread the gospel. What exactly was the gospel? The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand (Mark 1:15). Jesus’ ministry began in Galilee and continued all the way to Jerusalem.
How did he spread the good news?
• Jesus taught the multitude in synagogues and public places (John 6:22-59, Mark 1:21-28, ).
• Jesus appointed and taught 12 disciples the message of the kingdom (Luke 6:12-16). He also taught them how to go out and spread the gospel.
• Jesus enlisted the help of 70 (or 72) more disciples to preach the Kingdom message (Luke 10:1).
The disciples, like Jesus, travelled. They frequently stayed in strangers’ homes (Luke 10:5-9). As a result, they depended heavily on the kindness of strangers. Jesus’ ministry was bootstrapped, by today’s standards. His ministry, however, still required financial resources.
How did Jesus get the financial resources he needed?
Before we answer the question above, let’s start with how he didn’t fund his ministry first.
Jesus’ Ministry Didn’t Collect Tithes
Jesus did not rely on tithes to fund his ministry. It’s important to remember that Jesus lived under the Mosaic Law. During his ministry, the New Testament did not exist. Jesus was a devout follower of the Law as a Hebrew. It was against the law for him to collect tithes under this law.
God has set apart tithes for the Levite tribe (Numbers 18:24). Jesus was a member of the Judah tribe (Matthew 1:1-6). In place of land inheritance, the Levites were given tithes. Except for the Levites, all of Israel’s tribes acquired land (Numbers 18:20). The tithe (crops and herds) was also a kind of payment for the Levite’s service to the Temple. Jesus could not accept tithes since he was not a Levite.
Without tithing, how did Jesus’ ministry thrive?
Just keep on reading…