The Person Right in Front of Us

There is this story in the Gospel of John (12:1-8) where Jesus was with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, this family who he clearly loved, when Mary brings in a bottle of very costly perfume. You can just imagine the scene where she is pouring it on Jesus’ feet, and the house is filled with this magnificent fragrance.

But just as this is happening, Judas interrupts: Well! Why didn’t we sell this perfume and give the money to the poor?  In this context, this is a fair question. Jesus has been all about caring for the poor. But he says, “Leave her alone. She kept it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”

We have to be careful here because some people have assumed Jesus was saying that we don’t really have to care about the poor and the vulnerable, because it’s just ordained that they are always here. But he was actually quoting the book of Deuteronomy where God says to Moses, “Moses, you will always have the poor with you in your land, do not neglect them! Do not fail to open your hands to your brother in need.” (15:3)

In fact, what Judas misses is that right in front of him, at that moment, was a human being in need. Here was Mary, who was clearly struggling – her friend, was going to be put to death. She had a need to give, a need to show her love. And then right in front of Mary, is Jesus… who knew he was facing the cross. 

Jesus was not saying we can neglect the larger need. But he is saying: Don’t overlook the needy one right in front of you.

So often, we get overwhelmed by all the need in the world around us, or we get so caught up in our day-to-day lives, that we miss the people right in front of us who are hurting.

A friend told me about a sign she saw in an ICU room in a hospital. It said, “Please look at me.”  It was a reminder that even patients who may not even be able to respond, need that human eye contact… and they often need that human touch.  My daughters who work in restaurants tell me that there are people who come in who basically just grunt at them, or bark (Four waters!) – and hardly even look at them. Which makes me think about clerks in the grocery store and others who serve us all the time.

The truth is, the need around us is immense. And while there is a lot of good we can do on a larger scale, often the greatest impact we can make is with the person right at hand.

Let us pray: Gracious God, give us eyes to see the needs of the person right in front of us – perhaps even as close as our own kitchen table. May we care as you care; in Jesus’ name. Amen.