Christians at Smyrna: Poor but Rich

What if your bank account said “empty,” but heaven's ledger said “overflowing”?

That’s the paradox Jesus proclaimed to the persecuted Christians in the ancient city of Smyrna. In Revelation 2:9, He says, “I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich.” At first glance, this seems contradictory. The word for “poverty” used here refers to deep destitution—the kind where you wake up each day uncertain of where your next meal will come from. And yet, Jesus says they are rich.

How can such poverty coexist with true wealth?

Smyrna was a thriving commercial hub in the Roman Empire. But for Christians, it was a place of exclusion. They refused to bow to the emperor, which cost them their political and economic standing. Their break from Jewish tradition further alienated them from cultural support. They were caught between two worlds, accepted by neither, and as a result, they lived at the margins—socially, economically, and relationally.

Yet Christ’s assessment was different from society’s. While others saw poverty, He saw treasure. These believers were rich in what mattered: faith that endured, hope that did not fade, and love that reached beyond their own suffering. They had nothing by worldly standards, but everything by eternal ones. As Paul wrote, “My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

Jesus made this principle even clearer during His earthly ministry. In Matthew 6, He tells His followers, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth… but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” Then in Luke 16:9, He offers this instruction: “Use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.”

In other words, wealth is a tool. We’re meant to use it—not for indulgence, but for impact. To bless others, to build God’s kingdom, and to invest in eternity.

So, what does it mean to be truly rich?

It means living with an open hand—viewing every resource, whether great or small, as something entrusted by the Master to be used for His purposes. It means giving generously, serving sacrificially, and trusting God to provide for every need. It also means aligning our investment portfolios with God’s eternal objectives. I long for the day when I meet unfamiliar faces in eternity—lives that were transformed because of a redemptive investment I made in a business intentionally committed to sharing the gospel. Perhaps it happened through a workplace chaplain ministering to employees, or a salesperson sipping tea with a customer, opening the pages of the Qur’an, and introducing them to Jesus, the Messiah.

Because in the end, we don’t measure wealth by what we keep—but by what we invest for eternity. In the words of Jim Elliot, a missionary and martyr who gave his life in 1956 while seeking to share the gospel with the Waorani people of Ecuador:

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”