A Devotion for Knowing the Whole Story
Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, even then getting ready to betray him, said, “Why wasn’t this oil sold and the money given to the poor? It would have easily brought three hundred silver pieces.” He said this not because he cared two cents about the poor but because he was a thief. He was in charge of their common funds, but also embezzled them.
Jesus said, “Let her alone. She’s anticipating and honoring the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you. You don’t always have me.”
Jesus said, “Let her alone. She’s anticipating and honoring the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you. You don’t always have me.”
-John 12: 1-11 NRSV
Do you always read every story through til the end?
I don’t know about you, but when I was in high school, I was guilty of occasionally cutting corners when it came to reading whatever text that had been assigned in English class. Usually it was a novel that could have doubled as a phone book – some 500+ page tome written in thick Medieval prose, or one that dragged on as the characters roamed about on some foggy Scottish moor. On those occasions, I would pick up the Cliff’s notes version, the bright yellow and black cover a dead giveaway that I had indeed not finished reading the assignment by test time. (Now, I find reading to be one of my favorite pastimes and am glad that my English teachers saw through all of my and my classmates’ tricks and forced us to actually read the classics). Of course, the Cliff’s notes would give me the highlights of the plots, but what was missing was the nuance of the book – the history, the stuff that was written before the book that might have influenced the author – essentially, the WHY behind the book itself.
The same occurrence can happen when we read Scripture. We can enter into Scripture, read a particular chapter or verse, or even an entire book, and perhaps not grasp the WHY of the words. And when we do this, we read the highlights, the Cliff’s notes, and can miss the nuance and context of the text before us.
I know that have done this, specifically with the Scripture from John for this week.
Here, Jesus has begun his travel toward Jerusalem. He is in the home of friends, eating and celebrating, preparing for the Jewish festival of Passover in the coming week. We read that Mary, compelled by love and care for her friend Jesus, pours out her expensive perfume and anoints Jesus’ feet. When Judas scolds Mary, Jesus’ response is a bit befuddling:
“Let her alone. She’s anticipating and honoring the day of my burial.
You always have the poor with you. You don’t always have me.”
If we read just these words, Jesus’ statement: “You always have the poor with you.” comes off as dismissive and uncaring. It has even been used to justify not showing compassion to those in need.
But those present when Jesus was speaking would have known more that just the Cliff’s notes before them. They would have known that Jesus was quoting part of the Jewish Torah, the verses from the book of Deuteronomy that say:
“If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be …
For the poor you will always have with you in the land.
Therefore, I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’ "
(Deuteronomy 15:7-11)
Knowing this is the Scripture that Jesus is referencing changes everything! His words were not meant to deter generosity, but rather to encourage it, to see it as a commandment from God to be upheld always. Rather than a closed fist, God’s people are called to continually release the things of great value that we may cling to, to respond in lavish generosity, radical hospitality, and abundant giving.
Reading the Cliff’s notes version can also be an unhealthy and ungenerous practice that we apply to people and to their stories. We might come upon a survivor and think “Well, their house doesn’t look that bad,” or “Based on the funds they received, they should have done more.” In reality, we often get only the Cliff’s notes version of someone’s life, we only scratch the surface of a life marked with nuance, ups and downs, bad decisions and good. And when we refuse to delve in, to read deeper, to get the whole story, we miss Jesus’ call to abundance – we miss the opportunity to open our hands, our hearts, our very lives, and own stories.
We’re not going to love every book we read from cover to cover. And we’re going to work with folks that seem to test our limits of generosity. But time and time again, Jesus is going to call us to read deeper, to follow through until we know the whole story, to give to those before us, that we will always have with us.
Soon, we will follow Jesus down the road further into Jerusalem. We will hear the cries celebrating his entrance mingled with the jeers of those who scorn him. And throughout it all, through the pain and the struggle, we will find within him, a heart unhardened, a soul soft with love, hands flung open with compassion.
May it be the same for us.
With you on the journey,
Chaplain Amy
I don’t know about you, but when I was in high school, I was guilty of occasionally cutting corners when it came to reading whatever text that had been assigned in English class. Usually it was a novel that could have doubled as a phone book – some 500+ page tome written in thick Medieval prose, or one that dragged on as the characters roamed about on some foggy Scottish moor. On those occasions, I would pick up the Cliff’s notes version, the bright yellow and black cover a dead giveaway that I had indeed not finished reading the assignment by test time. (Now, I find reading to be one of my favorite pastimes and am glad that my English teachers saw through all of my and my classmates’ tricks and forced us to actually read the classics). Of course, the Cliff’s notes would give me the highlights of the plots, but what was missing was the nuance of the book – the history, the stuff that was written before the book that might have influenced the author – essentially, the WHY behind the book itself.
The same occurrence can happen when we read Scripture. We can enter into Scripture, read a particular chapter or verse, or even an entire book, and perhaps not grasp the WHY of the words. And when we do this, we read the highlights, the Cliff’s notes, and can miss the nuance and context of the text before us.
I know that have done this, specifically with the Scripture from John for this week.
Here, Jesus has begun his travel toward Jerusalem. He is in the home of friends, eating and celebrating, preparing for the Jewish festival of Passover in the coming week. We read that Mary, compelled by love and care for her friend Jesus, pours out her expensive perfume and anoints Jesus’ feet. When Judas scolds Mary, Jesus’ response is a bit befuddling:
“Let her alone. She’s anticipating and honoring the day of my burial.
You always have the poor with you. You don’t always have me.”
If we read just these words, Jesus’ statement: “You always have the poor with you.” comes off as dismissive and uncaring. It has even been used to justify not showing compassion to those in need.
But those present when Jesus was speaking would have known more that just the Cliff’s notes before them. They would have known that Jesus was quoting part of the Jewish Torah, the verses from the book of Deuteronomy that say:
“If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be …
For the poor you will always have with you in the land.
Therefore, I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’ "
(Deuteronomy 15:7-11)
Knowing this is the Scripture that Jesus is referencing changes everything! His words were not meant to deter generosity, but rather to encourage it, to see it as a commandment from God to be upheld always. Rather than a closed fist, God’s people are called to continually release the things of great value that we may cling to, to respond in lavish generosity, radical hospitality, and abundant giving.
Reading the Cliff’s notes version can also be an unhealthy and ungenerous practice that we apply to people and to their stories. We might come upon a survivor and think “Well, their house doesn’t look that bad,” or “Based on the funds they received, they should have done more.” In reality, we often get only the Cliff’s notes version of someone’s life, we only scratch the surface of a life marked with nuance, ups and downs, bad decisions and good. And when we refuse to delve in, to read deeper, to get the whole story, we miss Jesus’ call to abundance – we miss the opportunity to open our hands, our hearts, our very lives, and own stories.
We’re not going to love every book we read from cover to cover. And we’re going to work with folks that seem to test our limits of generosity. But time and time again, Jesus is going to call us to read deeper, to follow through until we know the whole story, to give to those before us, that we will always have with us.
Soon, we will follow Jesus down the road further into Jerusalem. We will hear the cries celebrating his entrance mingled with the jeers of those who scorn him. And throughout it all, through the pain and the struggle, we will find within him, a heart unhardened, a soul soft with love, hands flung open with compassion.
May it be the same for us.
With you on the journey,
Chaplain Amy
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