“For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always.” – Mark 14:7 (KJV)
I hate lost causes; my natural tendency is to shy away from them. If the poor will always be with us then why try to alleviate poverty. This spills over to other seeming lost causes – If the certain handicapped have no hope of living a close to “normal” life, why help; If the terminally ill are going to die anyway why try to prolong their lives?
But Jesus commanded his followers to give to the poor*. He calls some families to receive and love the seriously handicapped and to comfort and prolong the life of the terminally ill.
Why? The answer lies in the often ignored second part of our verse.
Have you ever asked God for an opportunity to express your love for Him? Well, there it is whenever you want, right now if you are so inclined. We help the poor, care for the hopelessly handicapped and comfort the terminally ill as an expression of His love and for a different reward than seeing them “succeed” the way we define success.
– Fritz
