Now he did not say this because he cared about poor people, but because he was in charge of the money bag, and being a thief, he used to steal from it.
And He said to them, “It is written [Isa. 56:7], ‘My house [i.e., the Temple] will be called a house for prayer’, but [Jer. 7:11 says], ‘You have made it a hideout for thieves.’”
and Joanna, the wife of Chuzas, Herod’s property manager, and Susanna and many others. These [all] had provided the material support for the group from their own means.
“Why was this perfume not sold for a large sum of money [Note: The amount here was equivalent to three hundred twelve-hour days of a farm laborer’s pay, or over $32,000 in 2005] and [then] the money given to poor people?”
For some of them thought, since Judas was in charge of the [money] bag, that Jesus was telling him, “Buy whatever we need for the [Passover] meal,” or that he was [being told] to give [money] to poor people [from it].
For, suppose a person comes into your assembly wearing a gold ring and dressed in fine clothing and [then another] person comes in who is poor and dressed in shabby clothing.