“The Poor You Always Have With You”
Foster R. McCurley
Jesus said those words, and added, “but you do not always have me.” He said it
when a woman anointed his head with expensive ointment. When Jesus‟ disciples (or one
disciple) objected that the money spent for this extravagant act could have been used to
help the poor, Jesus uttered the puzzling words.
They are troublesome words, because we could interpret them to suggest that the
disciples were more concerned about the poor than Jesus was on that occasion. And
worse, they could lead us to believe that the words allow us to resign ourselves to the
inevitable condition of poverty, as long as we do something “nice” for Jesus.
Perhaps, however, behind the words is more than meets the eye—literally.
Studying the Accounts of the Story
The dialogue over the use of costly ointment occurs in three of the four Gospels.
If there are at least three of you sitting together, divide among you the three passages and
read your passage silently. It will be better not to peek at the other two passages at this
point.
Matthew 26:6-13
Mark 14:3-9
John 12:1-8
When you have finished your silent reading, respond to each of the following
questions on the basis of the passage each of you read. Discuss the first question from all
the passages, then the second, and so forth.
1. When and where does the story take place?
2. Who was the woman (or women) present?
3. Who else was present?
4. What actions did the woman/women perform?
5. Who objected to one woman’s action? Why?
6. How did Jesus respond to the objection? Why?
Your discussion will indicate that the accounts differ in some significant details.
Yet, it is remarkable that Jesus‟ statement is essentially the same all three stories, crying
out to us to explore their meaning.
The Master Teacher At Work
You have probably known a teacher who uses devices to help her pupils discover
new insights. One of the devices that both speakers and writers use is to teach us is filling
in the blanks. For example, an author need only write the words, “A stitch in time…,”
and most readers will be able to finish the sentence. Can you think of more examples of
saying part of a sentence that you feel confident your listeners can finish?
The device has been used for many years, even as far back as biblical times. In the
Epistle of Second Peter the author writes to warn readers about lapsing into disbelief or
paganism after having become Christians. One way he makes his point is by using a most
unappetizing image. “It has happened to them according to the true proverb,
„The dog turns back to its own vomit‟” (2 Peter 2:22).
The author trusted the readers to finish the sentence. Those who were acquainted with the
Book of Proverbs would know how.
“Like a dog that returns to its vomit is a fool that reverts to his folly” (Proverbs
26:11).
In the Bible passages you just read and discussed, Jesus said, “The poor you
always have with you, but you do not always have me.” Is it possible that Jesus was using
such a teaching device to add fuller meaning to his words?
Split the saying into two parts. First, consider the words “you will not always
have me.” On the basis of the Gospel account each of you read, what does Jesus mean by
that saying?
After this discussion you are probably satisfied that you know what Jesus meant.
The other part of the saying, however, is more difficult. Does it simply describe
the unfortunate circumstance of many people on the earth? What impression do you get
from the words themselves? What impression might others get from these words? Do you
think they present a problem? Do you wish Jesus had not said them? Talk it over.
Consider the possibility that Jesus was demonstrating once again his uncanny
ability to teach. Jesus assumed his listeners knew major portions of their Bible, what we
call the Old Testament. What might those people have thought of the words “the poor
you always have with you”? They probably would have thought of the words of the Lord
at Deuteronomy 15:11. (Read it aloud.)
“Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I (the Lord)
therefore command you, „Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your
land.‟”
Such is the command we would expect from Jesus, God‟s Son.
The Bible Jesus Used
Every part of the Old Testament—the Torah (the first five books), the Prophets,
and the Writings—bear witness to God‟s special concerns for the poor. The Lord
commands that the people of Israel not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy,
not pervert the justice due them, and not scour the fields or vineyards of every scrap of
food that the poor might eat (read aloud Deuteronomy 24:14-15, 17-22
Over several centuries the prophets announced God‟s judgment on the people of
Israel and Judah for their failure to obey this command to care for the poor. Amos spoke
God‟s word against Israel because “they sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a
pair of sandals” (Amos 2:6). Isaiah pleads with the people to seek justice, correct
oppression, and defend the fatherless and the widow (Isaiah 1:17). Read how Ezekiel
defines “the sin of Sodom” (Ezekiel 16:49).
The Book of Proverbs teaches that the Lord will plead the cause of the poor over
those who rob them or cheat them in courts of law (Proverbs 22:22-23; read also aloud
23:10-11). Even Israel‟s prayer book, the Psalms, speaks devotionally that the poor and
the needy are forever included in God‟s “forget-me-not” list (Psalm 9:18). Read aloud the
judgment that gods of ancient times can lose their immortality by failing to give justice to
the poor and the needy: Psalm 82.
God‟s Son, the Woman,and the Church Today
With this consistent portrayal of God as the defender of the poor and the
assignment to the people of God to perform that work on God‟s behalf, it is no wonder
that Jesus, the Son of God, promised the kingdom of God to the poor, full stomachs for
the hungry, and laughter for those whose lives were all too familiar with weeping (read
aloud Luke 6:20-26). Likewise, as God‟s faithful Son, Jesus associated with the most
vulnerable of the land, as well as with those despised by the proper religious folks (read
aloud Luke 15:1-10).
With his knowledge of God as defender of the poor and of himself as God‟s Son,
Jesus went to his death at a specific place called Golgotha and at a specific moment in
history when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judah. There, he was crucified between two
thieves. To the woman‟s preparing in advance his body for burial, Jesus spoke in terms of
her act as one of honor.
To the church that would gather in his name for millennia after his resurrection,
Jesus, the master teacher, spoke half a saying from God: “You will always have the poor
with you.” As we finish the sentence with our words and actions, we today can honor the
Resurrected Lord just as the woman in the story honored the Crucified Christ two
thousand years ago.