Hi First Presbyterian Church,
For this Mid-Week Meet-Up, when many of you are feeling disappointment, I’d like to offer you some encouragement for your spiritual journey.
Today is Holy Wednesday, which is sometimes called Good Wednesday or Spy Wednesday. The name “Spy” is given to it, because, on this day of Holy Week, Christians remember that it was also the day of the week on which Judas betrayed Jesus, agreeing to be a spy for the chief priests in exchange for money (cf. Mark 14:10-11).
On this day of that first Holy Week, Jesus also ate with a group of people at the home of someone called “Simon the Leper.” During their meal, a wealthy woman came uninvited and anointed Jesus’ head with expensive perfumed oil. Some people at the dinner were angry with her and accused her of wasting the oil, when it could have been sold and its proceeds given to the poor. Jesus rebuked them and, then, responded with something that has always confused me. He said: “You always have the poor with you, and you can show kindness to them whenever you wish; but you will not always have me” (Mark 14:7). For a long time, it seemed to me that Jesus was advocating for not helping the poor. However, that is NOT what he was doing.
In fact, he seems to be alluding to another passage of scripture from Deuteronomy 15:11, which says, “There will never cease to be some in need on the earth.” If Jesus indeed is alluding to this verse, then he almost certainly has its context in mind, too. The surrounding verses clearly indicate a proactive and generous attitude to helping the poor: “Give liberally and be ungrudging when you do so, for on this account the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, ‘Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land’” (Deut. 15:10-11). So, if Jesus is not advocating to refrain from helping the poor, what is he saying?
I think to understand the answer to that question, we must understand that the ethics of Jesus are based on two principles: love of God and love of neighbor. We cannot and should not have one without the other. If we only love God, but neglect our neighbors (especially those in need), then our love for God is in question (cf. 1 John 4:20-21). More to the point Jesus is making here: if we only love our neighbors but neglect to love God, our love for our neighbors is bound to veer off course. We can only love our neighbors the we ought to love them, when our love for and commitment to God is in order. Our love for God puts out neighbor into proper perspective. Our love for God puts everything into perspective.
On this Holy Wednesday, I encourage you to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, the same God who was betrayed by his close friend for you, who was arrested, tried, and punished for you, who was crucified for you, and who has risen from the grave for you. Thanks be to God.
Peace to you,
Pastor Neff