For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always. (Mark 14:7)

There Will Always Be

The world has existed for thousands of years, and one thing has remained a constant from the day Adam and Eve walked out of the garden. Generations change, nations rise and fall, and technology advances, but there will always be parts of life that remain unchanged. Jesus said the poor will always be a part of the fabric of life. There are movements in every aspect of history where men seek to end poverty, but it always is found in the world in one form or another. Henry IV of France promised his citizens a chicken in their pots every Sunday. In 1928, the Republican party seeking to elect Herbert Hoover to office promised a chicken in every pot and a car in every backyard. About ten percent of the world lives in poverty.

There will always be wars and rumors of wars. World War I was supposed to be the war that ended all wars, but twenty-one years after the first world war, a second and much larger world war gripped the world for six years. And wars continued in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Ukraine. There will always be despots who have no conscience of killing others and taking their lands, and there is nothing the United Nations can do to stop wars. In communities around the globe, crime is an individual war against neighbors. There are many programs seeking to mitigate criminal behavior, but there will always be drugs, prostitution, pornography, rape, murder, abuse, and child neglect; to name a few. Law enforcement agencies will continue to monitor and seek to control the flow of crime, and courts will fill with defendants charged with crimes. It will never end.

Sickness grips the world. Advances in medical science have changed the course of many diseases, but there will always be illness and death. Some illnesses can be treated and almost eradicated. The common cold still seeks a cure. Many forms of cancer are treatable, but cancer still kills thousands. The disorders of the body bring about dementia, coronary disease, blindness, COVID, diabetes, and a host of medical conditions, but sickness will always be a part of life. The common denominator that every person on earth shares in common is the reality of death. There is nothing man can do to stop death. He can lengthen life by a short span, but he will never be able to prevent death. Cemeteries are vacant appointments waiting to be filled.

There will never be peace on earth, but it is possible to have peace on earth. The world is unchanged from the day sin entered the world. God created a world of perfect harmony without sickness, war, hatred, immorality, and death. Sin changed that. The cause of the problems of humanity comes from the consequence of sin. Death comes to all men because the tree of life given in the garden of Eden was taken away. Sin corrupted the hearts of men to kill one another. The first man born in the world killed his brother. In the days of Noah, the world was so evil God killed all life except eight souls and a barge full of animals. The flood did not stop sin or alleviate the problems of men. History continued to tell stories of famine, wars, and murder.

Jesus Christ did not come into the world to take away poverty, sickness, and wars. He came into the world to take away the pain of sin and bring peace to a troubled world. Men still die, but now they die with hope. Wars still scorch the landscape, and in Christ, joy is found in the promises of the King of Kings. Sickness remains a constant in life. Through prayer and the joy of salvation, death is faced with courage, faith, and hope. Only in Jesus Christ can the trials of life be recognized for what they are, and the heavenly wisdom directs the soul of man to live in the hope of eternal life. There will always be, but one day there will come a time when all those unchangeable parts of life will go away. Jesus Christ will come to take His saints home as the world comes to an end. There will be no more wars. The plague of sickness will end. Joy will fill the hearts of the redeemed. And there we will always be with the Lord.