The Crucible Act 3 Scene 1-14 Summary

Imagine being one of the disciples, sitting with Jesus and a witness to the scene described in Mark Chapter fourteen, verses three through nine. It says, "...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. Some grew angry. They said to each other, 'Why waste the perfume? This perfume could have been sold for almost a year’s pay and the money given to the poor.' And they scolded her. Jesus said, 'Leave her alone. Why do you make trouble for her? She has done a good thing for me. 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….” From that scene one could make the argument that Jesus didn't care for the poor. However, knowing the character of Jesus one could also surmise that this was not an excuse for inaction among Christians. Jesus was habitually made known His purpose for coming. That purpose always included the poor and disenfranchised, as mentioned in Luke

chapter four, verse eighteen. It states, ”The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor….” Knowing this, how is it possible to make an argument for inaction?
”The poor you will have with you always.” When Jesus made this statement, what was the meaning behind it.

One can’t automatically assume this scripture in question was meant to excuse inaction or diminish the importance of helping those in need. I believe that this was Jesus’ way of paraphrasing a previous text, with the intent of calling to mind the larger passage it came from. He did this by quoting Deuteronomy chapter fifteen, verse eleven. Likewise, the sole intent and purpose was for the disciples and Christians to remember the instructions on how to deal with the poor and debt. In the Deuteronomic Law their were laws put in place for the purpose of people eluding poverty. If someone owed a debt they had the option of working off the debt for up to, but no longer than seven years. After the debt was paid their land and valuables were then returned to them. In Deuteronomy, perpetual poverty was

unacceptable.
”You will always have the poor with you”, is not an excuse for inaction; it's condemnation of it and a call to action. Jesus was reminding them that there would always be poor people because people then weren’t being as giving and compassionate as they could be. Unfortunately, the same is true for for many Christians today. Their will always be many opposing views on poverty. People will dispute optimal ways to alleviate and even extinguish poverty. The success or failure of people who are giving aide will always be a subject of debate, and even then their will be no formidable resolution as to what works and what doesn’t work. But one thing that is true for Christians and those who claim to be followers of Christ: in action in the face of poverty is not an option. No one has the right to twist the words of Jesus as an excuse to sit and do nothing about poverty and people in need. What Jesus said may be the sad reality that we experience, but in all actuality that shouldn’t be anyones reality.