Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Jesus secretly and kill Him. “But not during the festival,” they said, “or the people may riot.”
While He was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on His head.
Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? It could’ve been sold for more than a years’ wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.
“Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them anytime you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the Gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”
Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand Him over.
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Jesus said the poor will always be among you. That phrase has always got me. So what’s He saying? No matter what we do, there will be those less fortunate? I believe that’s exactly what He is saying. There will always be someone who you can help. Even if you fee you are one of the less fortunate, what Jesus says is that there will always be someone you can help. Maybe it’s not even financially, but spiritually. I think it’s important to be aware that no matter who we are and what we have, there will always be someone who we can help. Look for ways to help…opportunities to be Jesus to someone else.
A Journey With Jesus 