I found this while surfing today. On doubt. This little saying is quoted in the context of sceintific research, but is very applicable to theology.
I forgot to go and do my bit [a reading] at evensong today. woops. We shall see how much trouble i get into!
Still, it gave me a chance to catch up on a talk on Bolivia that I have to do for my own church, in conjunction with another memebr of the congregation who has also been there, based around a Tearfund pack. It contains a very good sermon on poverty by Elaine Storkey, which I can use without any significant alteration at all. It has revolutionised my own "you shall always ahve the poor with you" [Jesus - in a particular context, now much abused] view to a "There shall be no poor among you" view. [Deut 15]
So, I may be mostly arrogant, but I am still a bit teachable.
I know exactly where you are coming from there- my view changed similarly it is all about the context in which Jesus spoke- I imagine he was saying something like 'until you learn to sacrifice everything to God (even the expensive perfume) then the poor will always be with you.'
ReplyDeleteWith regard to Elaine Storkey she is a fantastic speaker isn't she! I heard her at one of the Cliff College centenary lectures- it was really good!
Funnily enough, Jesus was quoting Deuternomy 15v11, while "There shall be no poor among you" is v4 of the very same chapter - so the two sides are clearly not a contradiction. Your interpretation explains this eloquently.
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