During an interview with the Washington Post, Rick Perry (Governor of Texas) was asked about the growing gap between rich and poor, and the lack of services for the poor and underprivileged in Texas. Perry replied:
"Biblically, the poor are always going to be with us in some form or fashion."
In that reply he was referring to a story in Mark 14:7 where Jesus says:
Perry was implying that there was not much he could do about the problem because, like the bible says, no matter how wealthy our society, there will always be some people who remain poor and we've just got to grin and bear it. It's all part of god's master plan.
You've probably heard other Christians use the same text to extricate themselves from the challenge, in Matthew 19:21, to "sell all you have and give to the poor." The Christians point out that god doesn't really want them to sell everything because the problem of the poor is ongoing and insoluble. After all, as Jesus says, "The poor you will always have with you" and there's not much you can do about it.
But now take a look at the whole story as told by Mark:
"The poor you will always have with you"
Perry was implying that there was not much he could do about the problem because, like the bible says, no matter how wealthy our society, there will always be some people who remain poor and we've just got to grin and bear it. It's all part of god's master plan.
You've probably heard other Christians use the same text to extricate themselves from the challenge, in Matthew 19:21, to "sell all you have and give to the poor." The Christians point out that god doesn't really want them to sell everything because the problem of the poor is ongoing and insoluble. After all, as Jesus says, "The poor you will always have with you" and there's not much you can do about it.
But now take a look at the whole story as told by Mark:
Notice that footnote [b] tells us that Jesus is referring to a message in Deuteronomy 15:11; a message that came directly from god to Moses,
For there will never cease to be poor 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.’
So in this original text, god (via Moses) says the poor will always be with us, and therefore we must always help them - and we must do so generously and open-handedly.
Later, In Mark 14:7, when Jesus says, "The poor will always be with you," he didn't have to finish the message because the message was instantly clear to everyone who heard him. They knew Jesus was quoting directly from Deuteronomy 15:11. They knew he wasn't saying that we must simply accept that the poor shall always be with us. They knew he wasn't saying the poor should be written off as collateral damage. They knew Jesus was actually telling them that there would always be poor people and we should never, ever, forget them or ignore them. Instead we should always help them - and help them generously.
Rick Perry (and most other Christians) have got it completely arse-about-face!
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