The day before Passover Jesus said to feed
The poor who are always with me
Two days before Passover Jesus said to feed
Two beggars blind
And the poor who are always with me
Three days before Passover Jesus said to feed
Three ailing kids
A pair of beggars blind
And the poor who are always with me
Four days before Passover Jesus said to feed
Four thousand mouths
Three ailing kids
Blinded beggars twain
And the poor who are always with me
Five days before Passover Jesus said to feed
Five thousand mouths
Four thousand more
Three ailing kids
Two beggars blind
And the poor who are always with me
Six days before Passover Jesus said to feed
Six men on pallets
Five thousand mouths
Four thousand more
Three ailing kids
A brace of beggars blind
And the poor who are always with me
Seven days ’fore Passover Jesus said to feed
Seven tainted harlots
Six men on sick beds
Five thousand mouths
Four thousand more
Three ailing kids
A deuce of beggars blind
And the poor who are always with me
Eight days before Passover Jesus said to feed
Eight lame men limping
Seven tainted harlots
Six sickly sick men
Five thousand mouths
Four thousand more
Three ailing kids
A couple beggars blind
And the poor who are always with me
Nine days before Passover Jesus said to feed
Nine lepers pleading
Eight lame men limping
Seven harlots pimping
Six sickly sick men
Five thousand mouths
Four thousand more
Three ailing kids
Blinded beggars twain
And the poor who are always with me
Ten days before Passover Jesus said to feed
Ten lepers pleading
Nine of them leaving
Eight lame men gimping
Seven harlots pimping
Six men a-sicking
Five thousand mouths
Four thousand more
Three dying kids
Beggars one and two
And the poor who are always with me
Eleven days ’fore Passover Jesus said to feed
Eleven taxing taxmen
Ten lepers pleading
Nine of them leaving
Eight lame men gimping
Seven harlots pimping
Six men a-sicking
Five thousand mouths
Four thousand more
Three dying kids
Two beggars blind
And the poor who are always with me
Twelve days before Passover Jesus said to feed
All twelve disciples
Eleven taxmen taxing
Ten lepers pleading
Nine ingrates leaving
Eight gimps a-limping
Seven pimps a-pimping
Six sick men sicking
Five thousand mouths
Four thousand whores
Three dead kids
Those two sightless dudes—
Yes, the poor who are always—always—with me!
Peter would really like to feel good about the poor… but the more he thinks about it on the eve of the Triumphal Entry (and the more he reflects on the social quality of those who follow Jesus), the less he likes the idea.
Let’s face it: as much as we like to talk about care of the poor, very few of us can stomach front-line ministry to them for more than a couple years. And there’s only one thing more annoying than parasitic losers who simply refuse to help themselves… Christmas songs that just don’t end.