“You Will Always Have
the Poor With You”
Understanding the Words of Jesus
In the Gospels, Jesus makes a statement that can sound troubling at first:
“For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me.”
(Matthew 26:11)
“For 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)
“You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”
(John 12:8)
At first glance, these words may seem difficult to accept. Was Jesus placing Himself above the poor? If He came to save humanity, should He not have placed the poor first?
To understand this, we must look at the origin of His words. Jesus is echoing Scripture from the Law of Moses:
“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.’”
(Deuteronomy 15:11)
This passage does not excuse neglect of the poor—quite the opposite. It is a command for continual generosity. God’s intention in the Law was that people would care for one another so that everyone would have enough.
Yet human nature often resists this calling. We are sometimes quick to suggest helping the poor when it involves someone else’s resources, but slow to open our own hands. Ironically, it is often when someone is doing a good and meaningful act that objections arise—claiming that the resources could have been used “better.”
Jesus Himself confronted this attitude when He rebuked those who used religious excuses to avoid genuine responsibility:
“You nullify the word of God through your tradition… and you do many things like this.”
(Mark 7:11–13)
Such reactions often stem from guilt or discomfort—when goodness in others exposes what we ourselves are unwilling to do.
In a previous reflection "The Temptations of Jesus and the Sin of Doubt" , we saw how discouragement is one of the enemy’s favorite tools. If Satan dared to sow doubt even in Jesus, we should not be surprised when the same happens to us—sometimes even through people who appear pious. As Saint Paul reminds us:
“For such boasters are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”
(2 Corinthians 11:13–15)
Relevance for Us Today
Whenever we do good, there will always be voices telling us that something “more important” should have been done instead. At such moments, we must remember: if a good deed is truly good, no one else has the right to dismiss it.
Every Christian is called to do good. If each of us faithfully did our part instead of criticizing the efforts of others, there would be more than enough goodness in the world.
Conclusion
Jesus teaches us:
“When you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
(Matthew 6:3–4)
When we act quietly and sincerely, we can be confident that our intentions are pure. And even if our actions are questioned, we can rest assured that all good things have their proper time, and what is being done now is what is right for the present moment—just as it was in the time of Jesus.
At the same time, these teachings also call us to humility. We must be careful not to discourage others who are doing good unless there is a genuine moral concern. Jesus Himself opposed the Pharisees who valued temple offerings over caring for one’s own parents.
Some responsibilities must always come first—caring for family, honoring and supporting aged parents. These are non-negotiable. Beyond that, we are called to serve according to our abilities, circumstances, and Christian vocation.
Let us therefore encourage one another in good works, discern wisely, and trust God to bring all things to completion in His time.
References & Credits
- Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible. © 1989 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
- understandingthebible.co.in — The Temptations of Jesus and the Sin of Doubt
- Image generated using ChatGPT
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