![]() Jesus rebuked Judas (and possibly the other disciples who may have agreed with him) and some believe this was the moment Judas determined to betray Christ (see Matthew 26:14). This passage illustrates for us that any act of pure worship, sacrifice, or charity will have those who oppose it, and the greater the sacrifice the more they will complain that it is wasted. What has Jesus entrusted to you? Do not think that because Christ has entrusted to you power, authority, riches, or anointing, that it is a sign of His favor. See also that Jesus entrusted the money bag to Judas even when He knew Judas would steal from it. What a precious gift she was giving to her Lord! See the contrast here between Mary who pours out on Jesus the most precious thing she owns, giving it all to Him in a memorial act of pure worship, and Judas the thief, who complains that this sacrifice was wasted – wasted on Jesus! Many believe this perfume had been given to Mary by her parents for her wedding night, to anoint the marital bed for her husband. They use the name of Christ to reward and enrich themselves. We can see this in many places in the church today, especially among those who preach the prosperity message. Many feel pity for him, but the Bible tells us that even as Judas was following Jesus he was stealing from Him. This shows us the wretched heart of Judas. “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor people?” One denarius was one day’s wages so if it was indeed worth three hundred denarii, this was costly perfume!īut John tells us that Judas did not care for the poor and was a thief. As the aroma of her worship filled the house, John reports that Judas began to grumble about the waste of the nard. In these first verses, we have the memorial scene of Mary anointing the feet of Jesus with a pound of pure nard and wiping them with her hair. The resurrection of Lazarus meant that many people were now following Jesus. Jesus returned to Bethany where a supper was prepared for Him. This in turn drove the Jewish rulers to hasten their plans to arrest and execute Him. Raising Lazarus from the dead incited a passion in the multitudes to make Jesus their king. ![]() These events took place the final days of Jesus’ life. Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her. For when she poured this perfume on My body, she did it to prepare Me for burial. For you always have the poor with you but you do not always have Me. Why do you bother the woman? For she has done a good deed to Me. For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me. Therefore, Jesus said, ‘Let her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of My burial. But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was intending to betray Him, said, ‘Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor people?’ Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it. ![]() Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. So, they made Him a supper there, and Martha was serving but Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him. Jesus, therefore, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. ![]()
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