Open Your Hand

John 12:1-8

 

This is a complicated scripture. I am interested mostly in the last line "You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me." That seems very strange to me. I did have a congregant who would often quote this verse. We will call him Ben. Ben would bring this up whenever we were discussing ways to help people and there were limitations. I didn't understand why this scripture was so important to him, since he was so involved in outreach and helping people, until I understood how much of a perfectionist he is, and that this scripture allowed him to develop ministries that did not solve the whole problems of the world.

In all honesty, it is not always easy to help the poor. I remember once having someone come to my office who needed help. I did not have much money on me nor in the bank, hence why I was looking forward to my leftovers for lunch. The policy of that church (and this one) is that we do not help individuals directly, but rather through agencies and institutions that can use our funds effectively. However, as a Christian I do want to help everyone. This man finally did say he was hungry so I offered my lunch to him. He was gracious and I felt I did great. He then started eating right in front of me, which was fine as that proved to me he needed it. I then heard the phone, it wasn't my office, nor my mobile, and then he answered his mobile phone. I then saw things in a different light. Was I scammed out of my lunch? I am not sure and I am was not sure I did the right thing.

Well Jesus did say we will always have the poor with us. However, we know he wanted us to proclaim the good news to the poor and whatever we do to the least, we do unto him. So when he answered Judas with this comment, was he simply saying it was more important he was anointed over the poor we will always have? Well I do not think so. I think he was not denying Judas' comment, but emphasizing that what she was doing was important without denying the importance of helping others. For he was invoking the law as it was written in Deuteronomy 15:11 "Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, "Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land."

So it may be hard and there may even be important things for the church that are not helping the poor, we are commanded to open our hands to the poor and needy.