John Calvin Commentary Matthew 26:11

"For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always." — Matthew 26:11 (ASV)

For you have the poor always with you. Christ does not simply defend the anointing, so that we may imitate it, but assures us that it pleases God on some particular account.

This must be carefully weighed, so that we do not fall into the error of devising expensive ways of worshipping God, as the Papists do. For, hearing it said that Christ was pleased with being anointed by Mary, they supposed that He took delight in incense, wax tapers, splendid decorations, and pompous displays of that nature. From this arises the great display found in their ceremonies, and they do not believe that they will worship God in a proper manner if they are not excessive in expense.

But Christ plainly makes this exception: what He wished to be done once would not be agreeable to Him in the future. For by saying that the poor will always be in the world, He distinguishes between the ordinary service, which ought to be maintained among believers, and that extraordinary service, which ceased after His ascension to heaven.

Do we wish to spend our money properly on true sacrifices? Let us bestow it on the poor, for Christ says that He is not with us to be served by outward display. True, indeed, we know and are fed by the experience of faith that He is present with us by power and spiritual grace; but He is not visibly with us, so as to receive earthly honors from us.

How utterly mad, therefore, is the obstinacy of those who press upon Him foolish expenses which He does not choose and which He absolutely refuses! Again, when He says that the poor will always be with us, we infer from it that if many are in poverty, this does not arise from accident, but that, by a fixed purpose, God presents to us those on whom our charity may be exercised.

In short, this passage teaches us that, though the Lord commands us to dedicate to Him ourselves and all our property, yet, with respect to Himself, He demands no worship but that which is spiritual and attended by no expense. Instead, He desires us to bestow on the poor what superstition foolishly expends on the worship of God.