Deuteronomy 15:7-11
Read Deuteronomy 15:7-11
Helpful Background Information:
In Mark 14:7, when Jesus is rebuking the disciples, he says, “You always have the poor with you, and you can do what is good for them whenever you want, but you do not always have me.” Here, Jesus is actually quoting Deuteronomy 15:11, “For there will never cease to be poor people in the land.” Both the Old and New Testaments affirm the realism of living in a fallen world: poverty will always be an ongoing issue across history.
For this very reason, Old Testament Israel was commanded to perform acts of charity to the poor of their society. To stir their compassion, Moses reminds Israel that their poor are their brothers, living together in the land that God has given them as a shared inheritance. He forbids the Israelites from hard-hearted greed toward the poor.
Moses applies this teaching to the year of release, which occurred every seventh year, where debts were canceled, and Hebrew servants were freed. The Israelites were not to withhold help from the poor as the year of release approached, out of fear that the debt would be canceled. Instead, they were to lend freely, as willingly as if repayment were just around the corner, even if it would not come before the year ended.
Returning to Mark 14:7, Jesus clearly expects his church to continually serve the poor. Christians are to show generosity, repent from heartlessness towards the poor, and refrain from greed at their expense. Jesus' point, then, in Mark 14:7 is simply that the disciples would have many opportunities to help the poor but no more opportunities to minister directly to Jesus while he’s on Earth.
Reflection Questions:
When Jesus quotes Deuteronomy in Mark 14:7, what does that connection teach us about how the heart of God is throughout the Old and New Testaments?
Moses warns against being “hardhearted” and “tightfisted.” In what subtle ways can those attitudes show up in your own life?
Jesus says His followers will always have opportunities to serve the poor. What opportunities has God placed directly in your life right now?