One of the most disturbing verses in the Bible is from this passage: "You will always have the poor among you." As I have helped to empower a ministry dealing directly with poverty, I find this reality disheartening.
I recently posed this question to a small group of mine and three of the people in that group work directly in services dealing with poverty. "I'll always have a job" was their response to this statement. And that is true- we learn it from Jesus.
In the midst of my philosophical qualms with my Savior seemingly resigned to the permanence of poverty, I also recognize that Jesus said these things because a broken, lovely human being was standing in front of Him. She was weeping and pouring herself (and her perfume) on His feet. Jesus was also embracing a starving and thirsty people who welcomed Him into Jerusalem. Jesus embraced the people in His presence.
We also will always have a job, and that to enter into the divine embrace of God and this world. It is to follow Jesus in that mission, undistracted by competing voices and ready to serve without hesitation. I embrace this future, and hope to see God work in me today. Embrace the people in your presence, whomever they are.
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