Jesus once was given a really extravagant gift, one so expensive that it cost a year’s salary for a skilled worker. And the gift was used to wash his feet. I’ve never even had a pedicure, much less spent a year’s income on a single foot washing treatment. The treasurer for the disciples nearly had a fit. Do you know how many poor people that could have fed if we had sold it? Do you know how much that cost? And Jesus looks at him and says, leave her alone, she’s doing something that no one will ever have the chance to do again, she’s anointing me for my funeral; and you are always going to have poor people who need help. You’ll be able to help poor people whenever you look up and pay attention to the world around you.

Sometimes when I read this story, I wonder how Jesus sounded when he said it…was he sad that there would always be poor people? Was he irritated that Judas didn’t understand what was going on (yes, Judas held the money for the disciples)? Was Jesus wanting to somehow convey the message that we should remember there are poor people around us, people who have needs, who lack resources, who may be suffering illness, or old age, or injury, or unemployment and still have children to feed, shelter to find, winter coats to provide?

I think Jesus wasn’t unsympathetic to the plight of the poor people around him that day, he just also knew that Mary’s gift was a unique thing in all of history. So I think about the way Jesus so matter-of-factly said, “The poor you have with you always.” It seems to me that Jesus thinks we will always need to open our eyes to the people around us and see there are truly people who suffer deprivation, who worry about feeding their children, who may sleep under a bridge to get out of the rain or snow, who layer newspapers under their sweatshirts to insulate themselves from the cold. And since they are around us, in our community, part of our community, we can and should do what we can to help.

I know there are people who don’t want to work and then there are people who cannot work, and then there are those who have no work to employ them though they look and look. I don’t think they are all the same case, but I know what Jesus said – you will always have people around you in genuine need, so do what is good for everyone. I even remember what the apostle John wrote later saying, “Whoever has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need and does not help his brother, doesn’t love God.” I am really thankful that the church I serve values being part of a community effort to help the people around us by financial support and by volunteering at Plateau Outreach Ministries. I love the people I see from other churches on the Plateau who volunteer every week. I thank God for the churches who send financial support to POM.

So I am looking forward to gathering with all those people from so many different churches to give thanks to God for giving us the means to help our neighbors. We have a community Thanksgiving service planned for 7 p.m. Nov. 24 at The Summit. POM will report about the needs and the work of helping others, we will thank God for giving us the privilege of helping our neighbors in his name and you can be encouraged to find your part in taking care of one another! I hope to see you there!