I’ve always thought it was rather strange comment by Jesus that the “poor will always be with you.” At first glance it seems rather callous. But I think Jesus knew something that we often overlook. True worship (which I believe was the motive behind the anointing in this passage) is the first calling of our lives. Remember, the two-fold summary of the law that Jesus gave us in an earlier passage? (Love God and love others.) There is a priority to those commands. Jesus says loving God is our first priority. Why? It isn’t because God is an egomaniac. It’s because there’s an order to the universe and God is at the top of that order. When we worship him first and foremost, we’re acting within our divine design. Sure, it’s important that we care for the needs of others, but if we do that without expressing love for God in the process, we’re not doing the number one thing God created us to do.
