DARNELL-TEST AUDIO

In this message, Christina reads a chapter from a book called "Restoring All Things" by Warren Cole Smith. The chapter is about Jesus' understanding of poverty and how we should effectively care for the poor. It discusses a story where Judas questions why expensive oil was used instead of being sold to help the poor. Jesus responds that the poor will always be there, but He won't. The passage also talks about the importance of our motives when helping others. Christina then asks Jeff for feedback on her audio setup. Okay, hi Jeff, this is Christina. I'm going to read actually from Restoring All Things by our very own Warren Cole Smith, just to give it a couple minutes of me speaking continuously. So, here's chapter 2. The widow's might. This could quickly become a very long list. Yet there's a difference between caring about the poor and caring effectively for the poor. Jesus' own understanding of poverty, in fact, is often misunderstood. His behavior and language toward the poor are complicated. For example, when Mary lavishly anointed Jesus' feet with costly oil, Judas rebuked him for accepting her worship. Why wasn't this oil sold in the money given to the poor, Judas accused? Jesus' response in verse 8 was surprising. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me. A complete explication of this passage is beyond the scope of our discussion, but in some ways this story is a parable for our time. Judas was the keeper of the purse that was often used to help the poor, but he was also a liar and a thief. His concern for the poor was a false front to mask the much greater concern he had for his own power, wealth, and reputation. In other words, our motives matter. Okay, I can hear fine on my side. I mean, everything sounds clear. So, I'm hoping you can help me figure out if this is going to be an okay setup, or if there's anything I need to change. So thank you so much for taking a listen.