Jesse Duplantis is a multimillionaire prosperity gospel preacher who recently called poverty a “curse.” He also described his wealth, which includes several private jets and 40,000 square foot mansion, as being “blessed” by God. In a “Boardroom Chat” with his wife he argued that most people’s problems are a result of their disobedience to God’s laws.
He said, “Let me give you a prime example of why I don’t care what people think about me, about what I have. Now look at me. Look at me. I am a very blessed man.” The pastor added that he and his are ” very blessed. I’m spiritually, physically, and financially [blessed]. I’ve had more people criticize me over that jet. They still can’t get over it. Criticize me over my house. They didn’t pay for it. I paid for it. Do you understand what I say?”
He blames “Christian propaganda” for making people think “poverty is a blessing.” Most people’s troubles come because people disobey. That is just simply the truth. Wars, rumors of wars, people always mad about somebody,” the pastor said. He described this so-called propaganda: “It’s usually someone who has enough power to change ‘people’s thinking,’ I call it. Especially in the Church, I call it Christian propaganda pay for it. I paid for it. Do you understand what I say?”
“You know that ‘poverty is a blessing?’ That’s a lie. Poverty is a curse. It’s not in Heaven, none whatsoever,” he said responding to common objections to the prosperity gospel “‘Jesus was poor.’ When was He poor? Did you ever hear Him say, ‘I can’t eat today [because] I don’t have anything?'” The Louisiana pastor made the argument that if people feel frustrated about not being blessed when they give to Christian causes they have been emotionally manipulated into giving.
He suggests people should give out of obedience to scripture instead. “If you move on people emotionally to give, and you do that a lot of times with poverty … why don’t you move on people to simply obey God’s glorious word that He will do what He says,” Duplantis claimed. “A lot of people raise money on people’s emotions, so they don’t get blessed.”
The prosperity preacher quoted from Psalm 49:16 to support his argument. The verse warns against worrying about the wealth of others. Ironically, the passage also condemns becoming obsessed with wealth. The passage reads:
“Do not be overawed when others grow rich, when the splendor of their houses increases; for they will take nothing with them when they die, their splendor will not descend with them,” the Scripture states. “Though while they live, they count themselves blessed — and people praise you when you prosper — they will join those who have gone before them, who will never again see the light of life. People who have wealth but lack understanding are like the beasts that perish.”
He also pulled from Matthew 5:38-48 which is the passage where Christ tells his followers to turn the other cheek. His view is that the passage is not calling Christians to pacifism. “I’m just going to be honest with you. … I’ve been spit on, slapped, and everything when I’ve been preaching. But I’m not going to let somebody just come up to me and slap me if I’m not preaching and somebody just wants to slap me,” said the pastor.
He went on to say, “You better believe in healing because something’s coming down. … Don’t let this small stature fool you. I get myself a baseball bat if I got to. You know what I’m saying? I don’t mean that pridefully but … I know what I can do with a baseball bat.” A theologian from. Got Questions Ministries, ” Turning the other cheek does not imply pacifism, nor does it mean we place ourselves or others in danger.”
“Jesus’ command to turn the other cheek is simply a command to forgo retaliation for personal offenses. He was not setting government foreign policy, and He was not throwing out the judicial system.” they added “Crimes can still be prosecuted, and wars can still be waged, but the follower of Christ need not defend his personal ‘rights’ or avenge his honor.”