- Apr 16, 2004
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In the Book of Matthew, chapter 26, verses 6 through 13, a very interesting thing happens. For those who may be a bit rusty, heres the rundown:
Jesus, in the home of the man known as Simon the Leper, is anointed by a woman as she pours perfume on his head from an alabaster jar. The disciples, seeing this, ask (it is not said, in Matthew, which disciple actually asks the question) why this waste? They say that the perfume could have been sold at a high price, and the money given to the poor. Yet Jesus rebukes them, saying that the woman did a good deed for Him, and asks why they are bothering her.
To me, this displays more than whats on the tip of the iceberg, as it were. First, let us talk about what Jesus said. Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing for me. (Yes, Im using NIV translation here).
So far, we see that Jesus takes issue with people being bothered for doing good things for Him. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me.
Now the meaning becomes more clear. Im not saying Jesus was not an advocate of the poor. Obviously, Jesus was an advocate for all who were oppressed. Yet here, Jesus tells something very, well, telling. The poor you will always have with you Jesus, who advocated the rich giving of their possessions (because of a change in their heart, not because of some outside force making them do it), and giving to the poor, says that the poor will always exist. Always. Forever. Eternally. Jesus, who had all the power to end poverty forever, said the poor would always be with us.
Another aspect is that, while helping the poor is a good deed, it is not THE good deed. Helping the poor is not the only thing were to do. We are to praise and bless God, just as God blesses us. Also, the disciples had said the perfume could be sold at a high cost and that money given to the poor. Why werent the disciples concerned with giving what they already had? Sure, they didnt have much, but the point of Jesus teachings was never give other peoples possessions to the poor. It was give your own possessions to the poor. Jesus never advocated a Robin-Hood style of government that raised the taxes of some and gave that money to others. He wanted the haves to give freely of themselves, not because someone was forcing them to.
When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.
Jesus here solidifies this womans position in history, and in His ministry. He says that the world will know what she did, for she did something good for Him. She helped prepare Jesus for His burial. I suppose this particular perfume was one of those burial perfumes or something.
Im sure this shocked the disciples, as Jesus was lauding a woman, not a man, for doing a good work. Of all the people present, all the disciples who were there, only this WOMAN was being praised for doing good by Christ.
Now, something else to look at. The disciples were indignant that this woman had used the perfume as she did. They were caught up in doing good deeds for others, they had become stagnant. Stagnant in their faith. They had got caught up in doing good things for other people, theyd forgotten the main thing they were to do. Worship. Theyd become so accustomed to Jesus being with them, theyd almost regarded Him as just sort of being there.
Jesus reminded them that they would not always have Him. Obviously, He meant physically, as of course Jesus would be with His followers always in Spirit.
We are to always look to Jesus. Of course were to do good works, but our number one goal is to worship Christ, witness Christ to others, and be good disciples. If our only goal is to meet the material needs of man, then what good are we doing? Are we indeed doing Gods will if we focus only on giving money, or food, to the poor? We, of course, are called to do these things. We are not, however, called to do only these things. For man shall live not by bread alone, but by every word which proceeds from the mouth of God.
In a way, this woman taught those disciples about faith. And Jesus made sure these men learned their lesson.
Jesus, in the home of the man known as Simon the Leper, is anointed by a woman as she pours perfume on his head from an alabaster jar. The disciples, seeing this, ask (it is not said, in Matthew, which disciple actually asks the question) why this waste? They say that the perfume could have been sold at a high price, and the money given to the poor. Yet Jesus rebukes them, saying that the woman did a good deed for Him, and asks why they are bothering her.
To me, this displays more than whats on the tip of the iceberg, as it were. First, let us talk about what Jesus said. Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing for me. (Yes, Im using NIV translation here).
So far, we see that Jesus takes issue with people being bothered for doing good things for Him. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me.
Now the meaning becomes more clear. Im not saying Jesus was not an advocate of the poor. Obviously, Jesus was an advocate for all who were oppressed. Yet here, Jesus tells something very, well, telling. The poor you will always have with you Jesus, who advocated the rich giving of their possessions (because of a change in their heart, not because of some outside force making them do it), and giving to the poor, says that the poor will always exist. Always. Forever. Eternally. Jesus, who had all the power to end poverty forever, said the poor would always be with us.
Another aspect is that, while helping the poor is a good deed, it is not THE good deed. Helping the poor is not the only thing were to do. We are to praise and bless God, just as God blesses us. Also, the disciples had said the perfume could be sold at a high cost and that money given to the poor. Why werent the disciples concerned with giving what they already had? Sure, they didnt have much, but the point of Jesus teachings was never give other peoples possessions to the poor. It was give your own possessions to the poor. Jesus never advocated a Robin-Hood style of government that raised the taxes of some and gave that money to others. He wanted the haves to give freely of themselves, not because someone was forcing them to.
When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.
Jesus here solidifies this womans position in history, and in His ministry. He says that the world will know what she did, for she did something good for Him. She helped prepare Jesus for His burial. I suppose this particular perfume was one of those burial perfumes or something.
Im sure this shocked the disciples, as Jesus was lauding a woman, not a man, for doing a good work. Of all the people present, all the disciples who were there, only this WOMAN was being praised for doing good by Christ.
Now, something else to look at. The disciples were indignant that this woman had used the perfume as she did. They were caught up in doing good deeds for others, they had become stagnant. Stagnant in their faith. They had got caught up in doing good things for other people, theyd forgotten the main thing they were to do. Worship. Theyd become so accustomed to Jesus being with them, theyd almost regarded Him as just sort of being there.
Jesus reminded them that they would not always have Him. Obviously, He meant physically, as of course Jesus would be with His followers always in Spirit.
We are to always look to Jesus. Of course were to do good works, but our number one goal is to worship Christ, witness Christ to others, and be good disciples. If our only goal is to meet the material needs of man, then what good are we doing? Are we indeed doing Gods will if we focus only on giving money, or food, to the poor? We, of course, are called to do these things. We are not, however, called to do only these things. For man shall live not by bread alone, but by every word which proceeds from the mouth of God.
In a way, this woman taught those disciples about faith. And Jesus made sure these men learned their lesson.
