We have all heard the story of when Mary of Bethany poured costly perfume on Jesus' feet the week before passover. Then those in the room mocked and scorned Mary because the perfume she poured out was worth a year's wages and that money could have been given to the poor. Jesus' response in Mary's defense has always stuck out to me:
"But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always." - John 12:7-8, Matthew 26:11, Mark 14:7
What did Jesus mean by "For the poor you have with you always"?
Right now we live in a time of more charities, initiatives and ideologies towards solving social injustices and serving the poor than any other time in history. Never before in history have we been subject to so much marketing from nonprofit groups serving the poor around the world. Everywhere I go I hear of new initiatives for solving world hunger or this or that, or about injustices against the poor, and various ways I can donate with just the touch of a button. It is almost as if these nonprofits have become a type of fad, yet they are evidence of a growing justice movement across the earth that, as you'll read, will not succeed alone.
There is only one way to solve world hunger and bring justice to the poor, and it doesn't happen by clicking 'like' on facebook or a donation at the checkout of your corner store. In fact I don't think it is possible to solve world hunger or eliminate poverty apart from one solution, the return of Jesus. As Christians, we know that the only true freedom is found in relationship with Jesus, and no other solution can really produce true freedom or justice.
It helps to look at how Jesus defines the poor, and where the root of poverty lies. Why will there always be poor people until the return of Jesus? The root of poverty is not just a social justice issue, but a sin issue. Poverty exists as a result of sin, the fallenness of man, and it will always exist apart form the leadership of Jesus. In fact Jesus uses poverty as a tool; 1 Samuel 2:7 says the Lord makes people rich and poor, allowing poverty to exist for a reason.
The book of Proverbs is full of verses about the immorality at the root of poverty, and what makes a man poor. In some cases it is the pride and actions of a man that make him poor. In other cases poverty is forced upon people by corrupt rulers. Whatever the case, the root of the issue cannot be made right apart from Jesus. Sure, we can bandaid the issue, but it cannot be solved apart addressing sin.
The book of Proverbs is full of verses about the immorality at the root of poverty, and what makes a man poor. In some cases it is the pride and actions of a man that make him poor. In other cases poverty is forced upon people by corrupt rulers. Whatever the case, the root of the issue cannot be made right apart from Jesus. Sure, we can bandaid the issue, but it cannot be solved apart addressing sin.
Jesus cares deeply about the poor! This is not to say "don't help the poor," because Yahweh is the God of justice for the poor! There is no other god who has given so many promises to the poor of the earth! There are dozens of Bible passages about the Lord's kindness towards the poor. BUT, every one of those passages also deals with redemption from sin. There cannot be any justice for the poor without Jesus.
I am a big advocate of helping the poor. Giving to the poor of the earth not only helps them, it makes us more like Christ. I would find it very hard to be a Christian and not care about the poor, but I would find it even harder to be a Christian and care for the poor while excluding Jesus from the solution.
Jesus defines "poor" very differently than we often do. There are many verses about helping those who are financial poor and oppressed, but there are also many verses giving us insight into what Jesus calls "poor." Many rich men are poor in the eyes of Jesus, and to Him many poor people are rich. To Jesus, the definition of rich or poor is directly connected to the condition of our hearts. That is why Jesus said the 2 copper coins of the poor widow were a greater offering than the large sums of the rich (Mark 12:41-43). Jesus cares about the physical needs of the poor as well as the condition of their hearts.
In the years ahead, there will be two great justice movements on the earth. One will seek to serve the poor without Jesus and will actually serve to enslave humanity in greater sin, while the other will declare the message of the cross and will serve the poor in the name of Jesus. Watch where your money goes and which justice movement you serve. Sow your money into organizations that meet both the physical need and the heart need.
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