John 12:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it.

NIV: He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

NASB: Now he said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he kept the money box, he used to steal from what was put into it.

CSB: He didn't say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief. He was in charge of the money-bag and would steal part of what was put in it.

NLT: Not that he cared for the poor — he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some for himself.

KJV: This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.

NKJV: This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.

Judas has criticized Mary's act of sacrificial worship: using up most of her life savings, in the form of an expensive oil, to anoint and honor Jesus (John 12:1–3). His critique is phrased in a very logical way, noting that she used up 300 denarii worth of resources. This was the equivalent of almost a year's wages for the common laborer. It's a fact beyond argument that such a sum could have been used to feed many poor people. As others nod in agreement (Mark 14:3–11), he complains that this was a waste.

This verse explains the real motivation behind Judas' reaction, almost certainly one that John did not realize until after Judas' lies were found out (Matthew 27:3–7). As the group treasurer, Judas was able to skim money whenever he wanted. The "waste" he sees here is money that could have gone into his own pocket being poured onto the feet of Jesus.

Judas' motivations here are especially crude. However, the tendency to snipe at the service of others is common, even if there is an element of fact to be argued. When someone does "too much," according to another's opinion, the assumption is always that it's a "waste." To be fair, maybe some of those acts are wasteful—but that's a judgment to be made by God, through His knowledge (1 Samuel 16:7), and not ours (John 7:24). When others are sincerely led to give or sacrifice or serve, we should focus on honoring their intentions, rather than grousing about what we would have done differently.

Jesus will defend Mary in the next verses, noting these are unusual circumstances (John 12:7–8). His reference to the fact that "the poor you always have with you" is not a dismissal of poverty, but a statement of fact: these are the last moments Jesus will be with friends like Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.

John 12:1–8 describes a dinner held at the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Jesus has recently raised Lazarus from the dead, in a spectacularly public miracle. As a result, the religious leaders of Jerusalem have banded together to have Him killed. In this scene, Mary sacrifices an extremely expensive container of oil in order to anoint Jesus. Judas objects to this, dishonestly claiming that his concern is for the poor which the ointment's value could have supported. This is similar to an event related in Mark chapter 14, but not the same as the one recorded in Luke chapter 7.

Jesus is treated to an honorary dinner at the home of Lazarus, whom He has recently raised from death. At this dinner, Lazarus' sister, Mary, anoints Jesus with expensive oil. Jesus then enters Jerusalem to great fanfare, stoking fears that His popularity will attract the anger of the Roman Empire. That anger even inspires a murder plot against Lazarus. After being approached by non-Jewish seekers, Jesus offers a final plea for people to understand His ministry. In effect, these are the last public words spoken by Jesus in the gospel of John.

In the prior chapter, Jesus spectacularly raised Lazarus from death in front of a crowd of witnesses. This inspired local religious leaders to commit to having Him killed. Here, after a celebratory dinner where Jesus is anointed with oil, He will fulfill prophecy by riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, celebrated with shouts of ''Hosanna'' and a massive crowd. This leads to a group of curious non-Jews approaching Him. Christ then offers a final plea for belief in Him and His message. After this, His ministry will turn to preparing the disciples for His impending death and resurrection. The next several chapters of the gospel of John are almost entirely made up of his teachings to these men.

The gospel of John was written by the disciple John, decades later than the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls “signs”—in order to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in all of the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.