Jesus, Judas, money, and the poor
I recently listened to a dialogue (debate, discussion, argument, throw-down, rumble, brawl) on one of my favorite podcasts, Skeptics and Seekers. The hosts, David and Mac:
At some point, late in this recent episode around the 2:13:00 mark (it's a long podcast, almost 3 hours) David pauses the video and offers a criticism over the Christian claim of Jesus "helping the poor" or "feeding the hungry". David is saying that he knows of no instance in the bible that this is illustrated.
Mac counters David and states "You're Still Wrong", and then he cites two bible passages from Johns gospel: 12:3-8 and 13:21-29 saying that these verses "imply" that Jesus and the disciples routinely collected money and used it to help the poor. David suggested that Mac read those passages to him, and Mac did so. I'll offer the NRSV version:
Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus' feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”
John 13:21-29
After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit, and declared, “Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.” The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he was speaking. One of his disciples—the one whom Jesus loved—was reclining next to him; Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. So while reclining next to Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” So when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot. After he received the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “Do quickly what you are going to do.” Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. Some thought that, because Judas had the common purse, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the festival”; or, that he should give something to the poor.Mac continues to claim that the disciples were obviously accustomed, as a group, to give money to the poor, or money to aid the poor, as a result of the teachings of Jesus.
Let's take a look:
In the chapter 12 passage, Mary is anointing Jesus feet with some expensive oil and Judas complains that the oil could have been sold and the money given to the poor. Why did Judas say this? Did he have a genuine concern for the poor or did he have ulterior motives? The author of Johns gospel makes it clear what he thought: He (Judas) said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it. We don't know how this author could have known this about Judas? Perhaps it was a rumor? Perhaps it fits the already established narrative? We just can't know if Judas was actually concerned for the poor or if he just wanted the money for himself. The only reason we would think Judas did not actually care for the poor is because of the authors accusation.
One thing we can determine is what Jesus thinks about helping the poor - he was not fond of the idea: Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.
There you have it - according to vs. 7-8 of chapter 12, Jesus disagreed with Judas, intimating that it is unwise to give money to the poor since there will still be poor people. It is best to use the money for Jesus foot-rub and his burial, since he will be with them for only a short time.
How's that? I suspect that there are Christians who apply that logic to their lives today. Why help the poor, the sick, the hungry, the injured, the homeless, the mentally ill, because you will always have them with you.
Let's take a look at the next chapter:
In the last few verses we find the pertinent part:
Jesus said to him (Judas), “Do quickly what you are going to do.” Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. Some thought that, because Judas had the common purse, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the festival”; or, that he should give something to the poor.
Why would some of the disciples think that Jesus might have whispered to Judas ". . . give something to the poor"? Jesus had already made his thoughts concerning the poor clear in the previous chapter - You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.. Could it be that the disciples knew that it was Judas who actually had a concern for the poor (regardless of Johns accusation that Judas was a thief) because it was Judas who complained about wasting expensive oil on the feet of Jesus. Could we not consider that Judas might have been pilfering the coffers and, counter to John's accusation, was actually giving that money to the poor rather than letting it all go to feed, clothe, house, and lube the feet of the Lord?
This entire segment of the debate gives me the distinct impression that Mac might be wrong in his contention - that the words in the bible, specifically the passages in John 12 & 13, in no way imply that giving to the poor was a common routine of the disciples - but they do seem to imply that if anyone had a concern for the poor, it was Judas.
bob
r.u.reasonable@gmail.com
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