You Will Always Have the Poor With You…

Mark 14:7….another oft-quoted passage, though truncated and missing perhaps the most important part.

The setting is in Bethany, just before Jesus entered Jerusalem and his crucifixion that followed. Jesus and his disciples are having dinner, and a woman comes in, opens a very expensive bottle of perfume, and pours it on Jesus’ head.

The disciples were indignant, thinking of all the money that could have been had from selling the perfume instead and giving it to the poor and berating the woman and her actions.

Jesus rebukes them, saying the woman did something beautiful.

And then we get to that passage, and Jesus says something of major significance (a few translations below):

You will always have the poor with you. And whenever you want to, you can give to them. (CEV)
For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. (ESV)
For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them (NASB)
The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want.(NIV)

They were thinking of if they had those funds, all the things they could THEN do.

But they had it kinda backward: if they wanted to help the poor, they can do it whenever they want and not wait until the timing is right, or they have the proper funds.

Just like us. Today.

Mark 14:7….another oft-quoted passage, though truncated and missing perhaps the most important part. The setting is in Bethany, just before Jesus entered Jerusalem and his crucifixion that followed. Jesus and his disciples are having dinner, and a woman comes in, opens a very expensive bottle of perfume, and pours it on Jesus’ head. The disciples…