I Need Help With This

So, I’ve been fumbling over this for quite some time. Without mentioning what part is tripping me up, or mentioning what parts confuse me. I want your help. I want you to tell me what this means to you, and why. It seems easy, so read it two or three times, and pray. I think it will kick you in the teeth. Please. Comment away.

1 SO SIX days before the Passover Feast, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, who had died and whom He had raised from the dead. 2 So they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those at the table with Him. 3 Mary took a pound of ointment of pure liquid nard [a rare perfume] that was very expensive, and she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair. And the whole house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, the one of His disciples who was about to betray Him, said, 5 Why was this perfume not sold for 300 denarii [a year’s wages for an ordinary workman] and that [money] given to the poor (the destitute)? 6 Now he did not say this because he cared for the poor but because he was a thief; and having the bag (the money box, the purse of the Twelve), he took for himself what was put into it [pilfering the collections]. 7 But Jesus said, Let her alone. It was [intended] that she should keep it for the time of My preparation for burial. [She has kept it that she might have it for the time of My embalming.] 8 You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me.

Thoughts?

katie

Andy,

This is an interesting passage. I think it's important to look at it in light of the other things we know are true about Jesus. We know he loved the "least of these". He was a champion of the needy and the helpless. I think we can't let this passage change our mind about the nature of Christ our our mission as Christians. Instead, I think what we get in this passage is perspective. I agree with Jill that Judas is out of the loop here. He just doesn't get it. There will always be poor, and the church's mission will be to care for them, but this is a special time. Mary sacrifices the perfume as preparation for the ultimate sacrifice. In the end, the crucifixion (both terrible and sweet) redeems mankind from his sins. God fulfills his covenant by sending a sacrificial lamb-- modeling again how important GIVING is.

I can understand where Judas was fouled up. The disciples didn't want to face what Jesus had been telling them-- that he would die and rise again. A part of them wanted to believe that he would always be there physically, so they missed the boat. If you thought things would always be the same, it wouldn't make a lot of sense to anoint Jesus, but Mary believed. She understood and believed what Jesus had foretold.

I think the application here is that believers should be sensitive to our calling-- faithful to what we are called to do even when other believers think we have our priorities screwed up.

Just my thoughts :-)

Katie
JillVictoria

Jesus knew what was in Judas' heart when he made the comment about how the perfume should have been sold and used for the poor. Obviously, that's not what Judas really wanted to do with the money.

Basically, Jesus was saying to Judas that the poor would always be around for him to worry about and for people to care for; but that his time here was precious and drawing to an end. The perfume had a higher purpose to serve than to help the poor or line Judas' pockets. The perfume was saved so that Mary could prepare Jesus' body for burial.

Mary got it. She knew that Jesus was about to die. She also knew He had risen from the dead her brother. She was thanking Him, she was anointing Him. There was no indication that Mary and her siblings were well off, so to offer up what she had was a very selfless thing. She offered up the most expensive thing she had to her Messiah.

To me, Jesus was trying to get everyone to realize that to serve Him was to serve others. Yes, the perfume could have helped a lot of people with the money it would sell for, but Jesus' death would help millions upon millions of people over time.
PastorT

Well, let's see:
I'm pretty sure you get the part of the perfume being worth a year's wages, yada yada. With Judas, Jesus knew what his intentions were, but didn't do anything or say anything about it. Kind of like today: He may not do anything to stop us, but it doesn't mean he likes it. Kinda coins the phrase "you'll get what ya got comin."
At that point Satan is in pretty deep with Judas. A little further ahead (13:27) tells us that. Then again, Jesus knew his heart and his true motives.
Now, what I assume your post is about (assume--ya know what that means). I don't think Jesus is saying to ignore the poor here. This was a rare occasion, specific to His anticipation of burial and public declaration of faith in Him as Messiah. I'm sure these Words were meant to teach Judas a lesson about where his faith was...In Him or in the money. But as you read, Judas didn't learn and sold his Master's life for some spare change.

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