Jesus was a poor
man. One night when He was out in the fields, the rain began to fall. He had no
place to go for shelter so He lifted His eyes toward heaven, saying, “O Father!
For the birds of the air Thou hast created nests, for the sheep a fold, for the
animals dens, for the fish places of refuge, but for Me Thou hast provided no
shelter. There is no place where I may lay My head. My bed consists of the cold
ground; My lamps at night are the stars, and My food is the grass of the field.
Yet who upon earth is richer than I? For the greatest blessing Thou hast not
given to the rich and mighty but unto Me, for Thou hast given Me the poor. To
me Thou hast granted this blessing. They are Mine. Therefore am I the richest
man on earth.”
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a talk, 19 April, 1912, New York; ‘The Promulgation of Universal Peace:
Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá during His Visit to the United States and
Canada in 1912’)
