Matthew 26 - Why Did Jesus Say, "You Will Always Have The Poor Among You!"


Jesus Anointed at Bethany

6 Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy. 7 While he was eating, a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume and poured it over his head.
8 The disciples were indignant when they saw this. “What a waste!” they said. 9 “It could have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.”
10 But Jesus, aware of this, replied, “Why criticize this woman for doing such a good thing to me? 11 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me. 12 She has poured this perfume on me to prepare my body for burial. 13 I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.”
There are many things to write about in chapter 27.  After all you have Last Supper, Judas' betrayal, Peter's three fold denial, Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane and finally His arrest and betrayal.  So why did I pick this story? With all the people who are going to deny Jesus in this chapter, this woman comes in and anoints Jesus' feet with an expensive perfume.  The disciples assume this is an act of wastefulness and hope Jesus will rebuke her.  But ironically Jesus not only defends the woman, but says that her act of worship will be told whenever the Good News is preached.  People are apt to question Jesus.  Does he care more about himself than the poor? 
I believe people misinterpret this parable in two equally opposite and erroneous ways.  One, people make the obvious error of assuming that somehow Jesus is more concerned with himself than the poor.  But all one needs to do is read the rest of the gospels to see Jesus served the poor and marginalized in every way possible.  No, Jesus is not against using money to feed and help the poor.  
Second, people use this reference by Jesus as a way to somehow rationalize not helping the poor.  They reason, "After all, Jesus said we will always have the poor, so what good can I do."   You see why this is equally false.  
So why then did Jesus make this comment?  How can Jesus be both "pro-giving to the poor", and also be so adamant about the importance of what this woman did for him?  Is there anything we can learn from this story?  First of all, this woman was one of the first to understand why Jesus was going to the cross. Her act of anointing him with expensive perfume was the anointing of a man for his burial and a king for his future kingdom.  But I think more importantly Jesus is teaching us the relationship between worship and works.  
The greatest commandment is to love God with all of our heart, soul, strength and mind.  The first commandment calls us to worship God and God alone.  The woman was giving her whole self in worship to Jesus, the Son of God.  Yes, she could have given the money to the poor, but she chose it to anoint the Son of God for his death on the cross for the sins of the world, including the poor.  I would say she had made a pretty good choice.
The second commandment is like it.  Love your neighbors as yourseves.  When we give to the poor we are loving our neighbors as ourselves.  I think if we keep these two things in mind the words of Jesus make perfect sense!f   

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