Republicans are now convinced that it is Jesus-approved to neglect the poor
What’s this all about? — It started with a post on another site.
This is just one of a set of pictures from Russia that showcased the level of poverty that exists in much of that nation. In one other image, an elder is seen searching for food in a dumpster and according to the original writer, this is far more common than folks realize.
(Per some Russian contacts, this is a common experience of delapidated buildings and low income and busted apartment buildings being far more common in Russia than any city in the United States.
One of the people who commented claimed this was not poverty.
This part right here set me off “The poor you will always have with you.”
Several Republicans in leadership have used this in the exact same way — to insinuate that we should not worry about doing anything better and just accept the existence of poverty in all its levels. (Click HERE for one example)
So here’s my response in full…
and please share it anytime you hear someone crazy enough to misquote Jesus.
Yall really take so much of the scripture out of context. Jesus DID NOT MEAN it was “okay” for there to be poor. Here’s more on the actual story you referenced but left out.
A woman anointed him with expensive perfume because he had announced that he would soon be crucified. The apostles and other with him criticized the woman saying, “the perfume should have been sold to give money to the poor.”
Jesus then expressed the following:
“Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 11 The poor you will always have with you,[a] but you will not always have me. 12 When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial.
Jesus did not meant it was okay to have poor and definitely did not imply that we should not do better by all humanity. He expressed a lesson for all of us who do good in this world, that it is also acceptable to give yourself love and grace.
Here are other lessons and guidance that Jesus gave us regarding those with less income
Luke 11:41
“But now as for what is inside you — be generous to the poor, and everything will be clean for you”
Matthew 5:42"Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you”
and here is just one of many other examples from the Old Testament
Isaiah 58:7
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh
It is shameful how often certain folks use the words of Jesus to excuse sin and evil and yes that is what you just did in your comment.
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In a similar articled to mine, another writer quoted the following scripture. This was the scripture that Jesus was also referring to in his own verse.
For the poor you will always have with you in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’” (Deut 15:7–11)
You can read the rest of that article here
