A great welfare system that God put in place – be openhanded toward your brothers. God said, “There will always be poor in the land.”

John also recorded these same words from Jesus.
John 12:8
You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me."

Jesus was probably talking here about the poor in worldly possessions. A woman had just poured out some costly perfume on Jesus (a year's wage to be exact). However, there are also spiritually poor among us. What is our responsibility to them?

We should feed the hungry and give water to the thirsty, but we should also tell them about the "Bread of Life" and the "Living Water".
We should house the homeless, but we should also tell them that in "our Father's house are many mansions".
We should clothe the naked, but we should also tell them about the "garments of righteousness".
God called us to do both, to take care of physical needs but to also take care of spiritual needs. Tall order!