Then one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot...said, Why wasnt this perfume sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?

Jesus answered, 

"Leave her alone; she has kept it for the day of my burial. For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me."

John 12:3-8 CSB

"For you will always have the poor with you"

Does that jar? 

Not if you were a Jew who knew Deuteronomy backwards (fortunately for me my Bible gave a clue where to look!) Ch15 says these very words in v 11. The context is God's design for social structures and lending money and helping the poor. If you follow my rules God says, there'll be no poor in your community. 

But the poor will arrive at your gates, and don't be stingy, be open handed and generous. It's not about the rules, it's a heart thing. 

This is a direct rebuke to Judas becuase Jesus knew his heart, and I guess that now Judas knew that Jesus knew. 

And it's also a message to me to keep looking at my heart, and how open my hand is to those in need. 

Judas was critical of Mary's open hand. That seems a good place to start my heart examination as why I'd be upset at someone else's generosity.

Deut 15:11 says to open my hand willingly, and while that's going to look different to all of us, it's my heart Jesus is most interested in. 

#monday

#Godsgym

#itsaheartthing

#tobehappilyopenhanded