Quote:
Originally Posted by Evangelical
In John 12:7-8 a woman wasted a year's wages worth of expensive perfume on Jesus. Judas said they should have used it for the poor. Jesus said "You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me."
Indicating that
a) the world's problems of poverty etc will never be solved before Christ returns, and Jesus didn't seem to mind that a year's worth of wages was not spent on the most needy.
b) the "wasting" of one's resources upon Christ with seemingly little benefit to others is actually not a waste at all as indicated by Christ's response to this woman's act.
c) the purpose of the church's money is to assist the poor, as indicated by Judas's desire to help the poor.
d) those who desire to help the poor at the expense of the gospel invariably have ulterior motives, like Judas (he did not care about the poor, he was a thief). If you want to become rich, found a charity, only some of all money raised actually goes to the people it intends to help. The rest is for administration, transport, salaries etc. Some of the richest people I know of are founders of charities, with expensive cars, mansions etc.
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I agree that the story provides a balance to the idea if just giving to the needy. And there is an aspect of "wasting" on Christ (from the worldly view) that cannot be supported to them but is very real and important.
But that one story was not the final nail in the coffin of giving to the poor and needy. It was not the end of love your neighbor as yourself.
It is not an either or, on or off situation. That is a false dichotomy. We are to have our eyes opened to what God would have us see. And sometimes he has us see only him and his worth.
But Jesus did not commend the event by declaring that this is what everyone should do with a year's wages. It was recognized as a heartfelt gift to the Master in anticipation of what was to come (whether she understood that or not). It was to be told with respect to his death that was to come.
It was not provided as the reason that we no longer are under the command to care for the needy. That we would always have the needy is a given. And Jesus did not say that to declare that it is hopeless to give to them. It was to recognize that there remained plenty of opportunity for such giving. That even if she had sold it for its value and given it to the poor, the need for the others would not be reduced.
Too many false dichotomies in LCM theology. It is grace so there can be no works. Declare that God must do it in us so since I don't feel like being righteous, God must not be going it in me and I am free to be unrighteous.
Some would declare "no! you are never free to be unrighteous." But if you then say "well then I should be righteous" the reply is "only if you are being righteous 'in Christ.'"
There is no such thing as a no-man's land between righteousness and unrighteousness. You either are or are not. You cannot just abstain from life until you think you are now "in Christ" and then go out to face the world.