“For the poor always ye have with you; but me
ye have not always.”
John 12:8 KJV
Jesus taught us something very important in John 12:8. He said that the poor will always be among us. This
revelation is huge! Do you know how many political debates in this country and
around the world; how many organizations seek to find a solution to world
poverty? There’s a lot! But Jesus declares in this passage that we always have
the poor among us; that means that all these “solutions” to poverty will never
work. No amount of redistributing the wealth or standardizing the pay of
workers can ever destroy poverty. Poverty is simply part of humanity, a result
of the Fall. However, we are not to ignore poverty, instead we are to lend a
helping hand. We are to reach out in the love of Jesus and share the hope He
offers. We are to be sowers of that hope. As we disciple people and teach them
the whole counsel of the Word of God, many will rise from poverty as they apply
God’s principles of diligence and stewardship. However, please remember that
poverty is not a sin and it is not necessarily a virtue either. If your heart
is after God (Matt. 6:33) it doesn’t matter whether you are rich or poor. God
bless you all and remember to stay grounded in the Word; it answers so many of
the questions that the politics of the worldly realm fight over.
