Always with You

[A reflection on the Gospel for the Fifth Sunday in Lent, April, 6, 2025, which may be found with the other readings by clicking this link: https://www.episcopalchurch.org/lectionary/lent-5c/ ]

Today's Gospel should strike a chord within all of us. Judas complains that Mary of Bethany was too extravagant, that she could have dropped that money in the poor box, not so much out of concern for the poor but out of concern for skimming off the top. We've seen a lot of that in our lifetimes as well, pleas for money for the ministry only to find that the monies have gone to pad someone's luxury estate instead.

Then Jesus says something interesting. "You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.” The last part is not that much of a mystery. In a short while Our Lord will have been crucified, buried, resurrected, then ascended to the Father's right hand, which is all pretty much textbook physically inaccessible (I say physical, but that is a discussion for another time!). The first part is the one that piques our interest.

We ALWAYS have the poor with us. The changes and chances of this age always throws someone a curve ball and pushes them into a position of great need, where resources are tight or they don't exist at all. They sit beside us at Church, on a park bench, walk past on the sidewalk, or stand on the corner or in a sheltered spot with a sign begging for some small token to help them get through another day. Some have been wrecked by addiction, some by a medical crisis, some by outdated job skills that the former job did not afford them time to update, some are afflicted by madness, and all have been failed. Society. Has. Failed. Them. Even when there are services, the indignity inflicted by many less-than-charitable people, or the scarcity and danger in the service locations discourage their use or availability.

The poor is ALWAYS with us. Our Lord was fine with Mary's gift, but He was not fine with Judas' skim-scheme. Nor is He fine with ours. Now more than ever our society is failing the poor around us greater than ever, and Judas is no longer skimming off the top but taking it all. It falls to us to step in the gap and remember the least of these. In fact, remembering the least of these is also giving Our Lord a priceless gift, since He is now here among us as the least of these.

He is ALWAYS with us.