"The poor will always be with you?" Is Jesus a hypocrite?

There is a story in the gospel of John in which Jesus tells the disciples that they will always have the poor but they will not have Jesus for much longer. 

Is Jesus saying that no matter what we do, there will always be poverty? All our efforts to eradicate poverty and bring about the Kingdom of God, all our efforts to create a living wage, all our efforts to create stability in the world are just in vain? Is it true that we will always have the poor? If so, then why try to eradicate it at all?​

I would like to suggest that always having the poor is not a problem but a symptom to a greater problem. All our efforts to treat the symptom of poverty will be in vain if we are not willing or able to address the sickness of our need to scapegoat people.

When culture is looking for someone to blame for the problems in the world, it is generally the people on the margins who become our social scapegoats. For instance, when the banking crisis came, there was a lot of clamoring for the "stupid decisions" of people who "bought more house than they could afford." Never mind the bank that approved the load, no, it is the fool who ​bought the house. So while millions of people's homes are foreclosed on, not one banker is in jail. 

When we have problems (tension) we need a scapegoat and who better to blame and scapegoat than the poor? ​

We will always have the poor with us as long as we need scapegoats. ​

We break the addiction we have to blaming others; treat our need to have people who are "disposable"; address our human bent toward keeping systems that ensure we will have a pool of ready-made scapegoats. We address the real problem and the poor will no longer be among us. 

"Don't screw this up!" - Jesus

It is sometimes said that the crowd did not understand Jesus and this is why they became angry and shouted "crucify!" It is said that people thought he was a specific type of leader or king or messiah and when it turned out he was not, the crowd became angry.

​Perhaps the crowd shouted for Jesus to die not because they misunderstood Jesus, but because Jesus understood the crowd.

It is the case that tension in the world needs to be resolved and ​one of the most universally accepted ways to resolve tension is to locate, isolate and destroy a scapegoat. Jesus knows this and Jesus also knows this cycle of tension, blame and death is a cycle that no one has been able to break. But Jesus thinks he might have a way to break the cycle, as long as the disciples don't screw it up.

Here is part of the story from Luke:

He said to them, “When I sent you out without a purse, bag, or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “No, not a thing.” He said to them, “But now, the one who has a purse must take it, and likewise a bag. And the one who has no sword must sell his cloak and buy one. For I tell you, this scripture must be fulfilled in me, ‘And he was counted among the lawless’; and indeed what is written about me is being fulfilled.” They said, “Lord, look, here are two swords.” He replied, “It is enough.”

Why would Jesus ask for a sword? ​Jesus needs the Powers That Be to count him as an insurrectionist and a rebel leading an armed revolt, so he asks for a sword. Jesus does not plan to use it all he needs is a prop to ensure that the crowd thinks he is dangerous. This points out the fact that while Jesus never intends to use the sword nor has he been violent at all, people will make "evidence" even when there is not any to be had. Jesus works to ensure that people will make evidence, because he is without fault.

But why does Jesus want the Power That Be to find fault with him? So that Jesus becomes a scapegoat. Jesus knows that in order to break the scapegoat cycle, he must enter into the cycle in the place of the scapegoat. ​

What Jesus does not need is for the Disciples to screw this up. There have been other times when people were able to kill Jesus but it was not "his time". The full force of the scapegoat cycle had not reached a breaking point. But now it has. Jesus cannot have the Disciples screw up all this work and time. Jesus cannot have the Disciples screwing it up by becoming the scapegoat instead of Jesus. So Jesus asks his disciples to pray that they will not come into the time of trial.​

He came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed him. When he reached the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not come into the time of trial.” Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed,“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.” Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength. In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground. When he got up from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping because of grief, and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not come into the time of trial.”

​Now that the disciples have failed again in their work, Jesus is nervous that they might screw this thing up again. How will they act when the crowd comes? If they piss off the crowd then they will become the scapegoat and they will just become like one of the million of other past scapegoats unable to break the cycle. Jesus knows what to do and how to do it, but he cannot have the Disciples screw this up.

And they almost do.​

While he was still speaking, suddenly a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him; but Jesus said to him, “Judas, is it with a kiss that you are betraying the Son of Man?” When those who were around him saw what was coming, they asked, “Lord, should we strike with the sword?” Then one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear.But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him. Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple police, and the elders who had come for him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs as if I were a bandit? When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness!”

​When the ear is cut off there is a potential that the crowd would take the Disciple and kill him as a scapegoat to the tension. Jesus has to redirect the crowd away from the Disciple and back to himself. So he heals the high priest and then shouts to the crowd, "Hey! you never came to get me in the open, now you come at night! You all are cowards and jerks! I am Jesus. I am the one you want." 

​And so the wrath of the crowd turns back to Jesus, the last and Ultimate scapegoat. 

And Jesus did not screw it up. ​

Some days I don't want to be a Christ follower

Most days I love being a christ follower

But some days I don't want to follow Christ. Some days I am sure that I am not up to the task. Some days I feel I am doing more harm than good and do not want to disappoint Christ or my neighbors. Some days I just do not want to deal with my own fear and doubts and anxiety and only want to run away. Some days I am convinced I am doing it all wrong and I am just not cut out for this whole thing. Some days I feel like there cannot be much good news to share. Some days I resonate with Peter who denied Jesus three times because some days I think that is just a smart thing to do to "keep the peace."

Manudy Thursday and Good Friday are usually some of those days.

Today I do not want to be a Christ follower because of the demands and expectations Jesus gives with his new commandment to love. I do not think I can do it very often and some days I want to just stay in the boat cut off from the call of Jesus.

Some days I do not want to follow Christ because I know where he calls me, and dying is not something I tend to want to do.

Some days I pray the day will be like most days. And some days turn to most days, but some days do not.

I wonder what today will become?