Calvin says : " Those are absurd interpreters who infer from Christ's reply, that costly and magnificent worship is pleasing to God. He rather excuses Mary, on the ground of her having rendered an extraordinary service, which ought not to be regard- ed as a perpetual rule for the worship of God."
8.— [For the poor always. . .with you.'] It is clear from these words that poverty will always exist; and we need not wonder. So long as human nature is what it is, some will always be rich and some poor, because some are diligent and some idle, some are strong and some weak, some are wise and some foolish. We need never dream that by any arrangement, either civil or ecclesiastical, poverty can ever be entirely prevented. The ex- istence of pauperism is no proof whatever that States are ill governed, or that churches are not doing their duty.
Ecolampadius thinks that our Lord here refers to the poor as being His members, and that there is a latent reference to the language of the twenty -fifth chapter of Matthew, about works of mercy being regarded as works done to Christ's brethren and to Christ Himself. (Matt. xxv. 40.)
It is uoteworthy that Jesus in this sentence passes from a singular verb to a plural one, and seems to address not Judas only, but all present.
[But me ye have not always.] These words show, for one thing, that our Lord's bodily presence on earth was a great and mirac- ulous event, and as such deserved to be marked with peculiar honour; and for another thing, that His departure was at hand, so that the opportunities for doing Him honour were becoming very few. Moreover, if words mean anything, the sentence completely overthrows the whole theory of Christ's body being present under the forms of bread and wine, in the Lord's Supper. That favourite Romish doctrine can never be reconciled with " Me ye have not always."
We may surely learn, from this verse, that relieving the poor, however good a work, is not so important a work as doing honour to Christ. In times like these it is well to remember this. Not a few seem to think all religion consists in giving temporal help to the poor. Yet there are evidently occasions when the relief of the poor must not be allowed to supersede the direct work of honouring Christ. Doubtless it is well to feed, and clothe, and nurse the poor; but it is never to be forgotten, that to glorify Christ among them is far better. Moreover, it is much easier to give temporal than spiritual help, for we have our re- ward in thanks, and gratitude, and the praise of man. To hon- our Christ is far harder, and gets us no praise at all.
Augustine remarks: "In respect of the presence of His Majesty, we have Christ always; in respect to the presence of the flesh, it was rightly said, 'Me ye will not have always.' The Church had Him in respect of the fiesh for a few days; now by faith it holds, not with eyes beholds Him."