Jesus said the poor "always" will be with us. Was he talking about all the people who don't have much money, or just the ones we call the "deserving poor" or the "poor in spirit"? How should Christians treat this problem?
Jesus' words, "the poor you will always have with you," often are taken out of context and used to justify everything from building extravagant church buildings to doing nothing to help people who lack basic human necessities. Jesus clearly emphasizes in Matthew 25:31-46 that the ones who inherit the kingdom of heaven will be those who have fed the hungry, satisfied the thirsty, clothed the naked and visited those who were sick and in prison. So, is Jesus contradicting himself when he notes there will always be poor among us?
The context of Jesus' quote is a woman pouring precious nard on his feet. The disciples objected that her act was a waste, insisting the nard could have been sold and the money used to help the financially poor. Jesus responded that the woman's action was a beautiful act of love, and it served as the anointing he would not receive prior to his burial. The entire quote says, "The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me" (Matthew 26:11). The disciples, based on the words and actions of Jesus, thought helping the financially poor was of paramount importance—but they were wrong.
Our first priority should always be devotion to Christ, but that devotion must lead us to do the things on the heart of Christ. Much of Jesus' ministry was spent ministering to the poor—"the least of these." The heart of Jesus' teaching is that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. The Bible is filled with promises that God blesses those who care for the poor and punishes those who oppress the poor. God describes himself as the protector of the poor (Psalm 12:5), rescuer of the poor (1 Samuel 2:8, Psalm 35:10, Isaiah 19:20), provider of the poor (Psalm 68:10, Isaiah 41:17), savior of the poor (Psalm 34:6, 109:31) and refuge for the poor (Psalm 14:6, Isaiah 25:4).
The danger is we will rip the phrase "The poor you will always have with you" from its context and allow the unspoken tagline to be "… so forget them—we can't fix the problem." The biblical injunction is that God's people are to do all they can to help those who are poor—spiritually, physically and emotionally. "Give generously to him (the poor) and do so without a grudging heart" (Deuteronomy 15:10). While we always are to use discernment in our sharing, the biblical emphasis is on erring on the side of meeting the need, not judging the worthiness of the recipient. God has been lavish in giving grace and blessings, and he wants his children to be just like him. On Judgment Day, we will not wish we had done less, but more.
Alan Stanford, pastor
Leesburg Community Church
Leesburg, Va.
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