You will not always have me

You will not always have me.

“Leave her alone!  Why are you bothering her?  She has done a fine and beautiful thing for me.  You will always have the poor people with you, and anytime you want to, you can help them.  But you will not always have me.  She did what she could; she poured perfume on my body to prepare it ahead of time for burial.  Now, I assure that wherever the gospel is preached all over the world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”  (Mark 14: 6 – 9)

This woman did “a fine and beautiful thing” for Jesus.  Jesus praised her initiative.  But men blamed her.  The people who blamed the woman appeared on the surface charitable but in fact their motive was suspect.  I see in this incident the conflict between the word of God and the word of man.  The word of God searches the inner motives of men while men tend to look at the appearances.

Man can never outdo God in generosity.  God owns everything and deserves the very best.

What can I do for Jesus today to merit the words:  “You have done a fine and beautiful thing for me.”  Yes, the poor people are always around me.  Lord Jesus, teach me to recognize you this day in the poor.