Scripture Asks Us to Help the Needy
To the Editor:
I would like to respond to Patsy Parker’s letter on March 19 about the proposed school dinner program at LGISD. If Ms. Parker wants to approach it from the scripture where Jesus says “The poor you will always have with you” we might need to study this text a bit more in depth. The exact scripture is “For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have Me” (NRSV).
This text is also mentioned in John 12:8 and Mark 14:7. This passage in Matthew takes place when Jesus is in the home of Simon the Leper and a woman comes in and anoints Jesus with some very expensive perfume and oils. Judas wasn’t happy with this gesture and scoffed that the money could have been used to feed the poor instead.
Many biblical scholars feel that Jesus’ response was not saying “The poor you always have with you, so it sucks to be them” but was actually reminding his disciples (including the one who would betray him for far less than the price of the perfume) of the charge in Deuteronomy 15:7-11 (NRSV).
“If there is among you anyone in need, a member of your community in any of your towns within the land that the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted toward your needy neighbor. You should rather open your hand, willingly lending enough to meet the need, whatever it may be. Be careful that you do not entertain a mean thought, thinking, “The seventh year, the year of remission, is near,” and therefore view your needy neighbor with hostility and give nothing; your neighbor might cry to the Lord against you, and you would incur guilt. Give liberally and be ungrudging when you do so, for on this account the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. 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.”
When it comes to providing food to low-income children, I think the charge is clear.
Deanna M. Lowrey-Green La Grange