Today's readings are Proverbs 4.1-27 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Prov.+4.1-27 ) and John 12.1-19 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=John+12.1-19 ).
In John 12.8 Jesus tells his disciples that they will always have poor people with them but they will not always have him. What can he mean by this? After the resurrection, Jesus promises that he will never leave his disciples. We confess that God the Son is with us all the time. Yet Jesus says he is going away. Of course, we perceive him differently after the resurrection. We can now walk with Jesus all day every day no matter the geography, but we never see him walking around sweating with dirty feet and disheveled hair.
But what does Jesus mean by saying that the poor will always be with us? Surely the Lord who holds all the resources of creation in his hand can take care of the poor? Surely if we give people the help they need to get back on their feet the poor will no longer be with us? As we consider it biblically, much poverty is the result of sin. It is the result of sinful priorities, sinful lack of interest in acting responsibly, sinful desires being set above wise stewardship. And all of us are quite able to become poverty-stricken, no matter how wealthy we are, all the resources we have can be plundered by our foolish and self-centered decisions. Surely we are sinful people. As we put our own momentary desires above wisdom, we squander the resources God has provided for us.
Sometimes the word "squander" seems excessive. Is it squandering resources if I spend some money on a pack of chewing gum because I like to chew gum? It isn't harmful and it is quite inexpensive. My expenditure, joined with the habit of millions of other gum chewers, provides economically for those people engaged in the manufacturing and distribution of the product. Spending money in a wise way is a means of loving our neighbors and providing for their well being. This is a fine way to spend some of the resources God has provided us with. We are free to engage in activities and spending which are not absolutely necessary to sustain life. Yet we are free to do so only within our means. If, for instance, I have a small child who is in need of basic nutrition and choose instead to spend my very limited resources on sodas and potato chips, I have wronged my child and am also wronging the people I subsequently ask to help provide for my child. If, on the other hand, I decide to spend a small portion of my resources on sodas and potato chips rather than buying a new decoration to go on my porch, something else quite optional, I have done no wrong.
How can we wisely use those resources the Lord has given us? Sometimes we lavish them on the Lord. Sometimes we lavish them on the poor around us. Sometimes we use some for different reasons. In all things, let us use our resources to honor our Lord and Savior, to celebrate the abundance he has created, and to share that abundance with others.
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