But Jesus said, " . . . you always have the poor with you, and you can show kindness to them whenever you wish . . ." (Mark 14:3-9)
I always wondered what rule Jesus was telling us to keep with this. "Before you extend generosity to the poor make sure you don't have an opportunity to anoint me." Or maybe this was the rule: "Don't worry about trying to help the poor; they're too far gone; it's useless to try; just wait until I come in my Kingdom; then I'll take care of them."
Recently I realized Jesus wasn't the first one to make this observation about the poor always being among us and to give instructions on showing kindness to them. Apparently, Moses taught all the children this instruction/command. "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)
Because the poor will always be with us, we need to keep our hands open. There is no 'if' the needy meet certain conditions . . . or 'only if' they are legitimately poor. Moses and Jesus make the statement that the poor are with us and our hands are open. Understood?
In actuality, however, the poor are actually quite distant from me. Also, my hands are closed. And I avert my eyes from the few who make it into the periphery of my vision.
I heard today that love is the expression of authentic human attention. If so, by ignoring those in my periphery, along the margins of my life, I am denying Jesus' clear command to love my neighbour.
The good news, though, is that the command is a promise that I will receive authentic human attention even though I don't deserve it. I thank God for those of you who have proven this promise to us.
3 comments:
Good thoughts. Thank you for sharing. I hope you are having a great week.
Hey guys... good thoughts. Thanks for that! Though as nice as "authentic human attention" may be as a way of thinking of love... it isn't the Biblical definition of love.
Unless by "authentic" we're saying "God like" because He is the only truly authentic being... and by "human" we're meaning "image of God" because He created humans (start with Him, not us)... and by "attention" we mean "Constant care" because God is the only one capable of really giving "attention" to anything... or anyone for that matter.
You're so right though that the good news is we have that promise that we're loved. Loved in a way and provided for in a way that supersedes and goes far, far (eternally) beyond anything we can temporally see or experience here. Including huger, discomfort, pain, etc. :) Great, great promise!!!
Noel,
I don't understand how your comments correct my "way of thinking of love". Please tell me what you think I mean by "authentic human attention" since by your comments you intended to imply something different than me and more biblical.
Were you afraid the phrase I used, "authentic human attention," implied some sort of philosophy that starts with me instead of God? Only the opposite idea comes from sinful human beings. Where do you think I experienced this idea? The priest and Levite (Luke 10) ignored a fellow being, but the Samaritan who loved his neighbor treated the man in pain with attention that could be seen temporally and experienced here in this world that God loves. I've experienced this authentic human attention myself and I looked up and saw a human face through which God was loving me.
God, in his love, expressed authentic human attention in this world that we can temporally see and experience. He has always comforted the hungry and mentally ill and has used even fallen creation and broken people like us to do so. We might be concerned about how things go in another world, but God is concerned about this world that we live in right now. He wants us to act like we are his children because we are. Otherwise, we deny God's love for the world.
Thanks for the stimulation, Noel. I mean that sincerely. I think that, through your provoking, God did some positive things with our faith. I hope you'll keep posting and provoking. :-)
Oh, I found "the" definition: "We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us--and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. How does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses to help?"
jason (who played the Levite in the story)
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