(Our men’s group is going through Shane Claiborne’s Irresistible Revolution, which has spurred quite a bit of discussion and thought!)
Growing up in my conservative fundamentalist Baptist church, I remember hearing this verse quoted, usually in support of capitalism and against socialism / communism. It was thrown around as proof that poverty would never be eliminated, so why try? If poor people were too lazy to work, why should others support them?
How contrary that take on this phrase is with the broader teaching and context of Jesus! Look at the extended passage:
Jesus was at Bethany visiting the house of Simon, who had a skin disease. During dinner, a woman came in with a vase made of alabaster and containing very expensive perfume of pure nard. She broke open the vase and poured the perfume on his head. 4 Some grew angry. They said to each other, “Why waste the perfume? 5 This perfume could have been sold for almost a year’s pay and the money given to the poor.” And they scolded her.
6 Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you make trouble for her? She has done a good thing for me.7 You always have the poor with you; and whenever you want, you can do something good for them. But you won’t always have me. 8 She has done what she could. She has anointed my body ahead of time for burial. 9 I tell you the truth that, wherever in the whole world the good news is announced, what she’s done will also be told in memory of her.” (Mark 14: 3-9, CEB)
Did you notice the context? Did you notice what else Jesus said?
“You always have the poor with you; and whenever you want, you can do something good for them.”
Whenever we want, we can do good for the poor? Do we want? Do we ever want to do good to the poor? Maybe during Christmas, and after a disaster! But certainly not all the time!
How does our attitude square with the way Jesus taught and acted? How does it square with Matthew 25: 31-46? Read the whole section. Let me point out that Jesus said:
I was hungry and you didn’t give me food to eat. I was thirsty and you didn’t give me anything to drink. 43 I was a stranger, and you didn’t welcome me. I was naked and you didn’t give me clothes to wear. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’
Yes, we will always have the poor with us, because we always have Jesus with us!