Matthew 26:11
“For you always have the poor with you; but you don’t always have me.”
What does Matthew 26:11 mean?
Jesus said this when someone criticized a woman for pouring expensive perfume on him instead of selling it to help the poor. He wasn't dismissing the importance of caring for those in need, but rather pointing out that his physical presence with his disciples was temporary and unrepeatable. Once he would be gone, they'd have countless future opportunities to serve the poor, but this moment with him wouldn't come again. There's deep wisdom here for anyone wrestling with competing good causes. Sometimes we can get so focused on one important thing that we miss what's right in front of us. Jesus is saying that while caring for the poor is always essential, there's also value in being fully present to the sacred moments in our lives and the people we love—not out of selfishness, but out of recognition that some opportunities are uniquely precious because they're limited.