April 3,  2023

Today’s Reading:  Matt. 26:1-27:66

Daily Lectionary: Ex 9:1-28, Lam. 2:1-22, Heb 3:1-19

Matthew 26:11: “For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me.”

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. It’s easy to question the LORD when He encourages expensive perfume being poured on his feet rather than sold to care for the poor. This is the thing that drove Judas to the chief priests for silver to betray Him. Jesus responds, “The poor you will always have with you”.  There will always be sinners who don’t care for them. And it’s unjust. It’s not ok.  

We sinners have learned to speak in polarity. Black or white. Full or empty. So on one side, Judas is just wanting to care for the poor. On the other, social justice has become a topic reserved for the ungodly.  What we should see is the importance of God. And somehow we’ve found ourselves in a position where we turn our backs on either the least of these, which will end poorly on the last day according to Jesus, or Jesus, which…also will end poorly on the last day. Either we seek justice in the world or joy in our Lord, but both times come up wanting.  

Instead of contrasting helping the poor with time in church, justice and joy, let them both be found in Christ. He is our justice and our justification. He is our joy. Judas assumes he loves the poor more than the God who took flesh to die for them. Jesus refuses to let poverty imposed by other sinners divorce someone from the kingdom of heaven. There will be days when it is hard to find Jesus. There will be days when the poverty of this world is overpowering. On those days, the cross matters more, not less. Christ bore the cross for the oppressors and the oppressed. For the sinners and sinned against. We gather around His gifts because no matter what we build otherwise, justice will always be out of reach. No matter how hard we try, how much we give, there will always be more pain, but there is always enough Jesus.  That doesn’t mean don’t try to care for the poor. It means make sure that above all else, the Gospel is the measurement of justice, because in Christ we are justified now. There, joy can endure all things.  n the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

O sacred Head, now wounded, With grief and shame weighed down, Now scornfully surrounded With thorns, Thine only crown. O sacred Head, what glory, What bliss, till now was Thine! Yet, though despised and gory, I joy to call Thee mine. (O Sacred Head, Now Wounded, LSB 449:1)

– Pastor Kent Schaaf is Pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Little Rock. AR.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Jonathan Lackey is an LCMS seminarian.

Study Christ’s words on the cross to see how you can show more Christlike grace in your life. Perfect for group or individual study, each chapter has a Q&A at the end, and the back of the book includes a leader guide. Available now from Concordia Publishing House.