September 22, 2023

Mark 14:1-11 (HCSB)
The Plot to Kill Jesus
14 After two days it was the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a treacherous way to arrest and kill Him. 2 “Not during the festival,” they said, “or there may be rioting among the people.”
The Anointing at Bethany
3 While He was in Bethany at the house of Simon who had a serious skin disease, as He was reclining at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of pure and expensive fragrant oil of nard. She broke the jar and poured it on His head. 4 But some were expressing indignation to one another: “Why has this fragrant oil been wasted? 5 For this oil might have been sold for more than 300 denarii and given to the poor. ”And they began to scold her. 6 Then Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a noble thing for Me. 7 You always have the poor with you, and you can do what is good for them whenever you want, but you do not always have Me. 8 She has done what she could; she has anointed My body in advance for burial. 9 I assure you: Wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told in memory of her.” 10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to hand Him over to them. 11 And when they heard this, they were glad and promised to give him silver. So he started looking for a good opportunity to betray Him.

James Burns
Here we have an incident where human behavior is presented very clearly. We have religious leaders plotting against what they considered a threat to their existence, we have a woman who, without concern for the cost, displayed true love and devotion to Jesus, and we have the human reaction of the disciples criticizing her based on financial reasons or jealousy (I wonder if Judas Iscariot was the instigator of that criticism?). Jesus knew exactly what was going on. He knew who was plotting against Him, and He knew who was truly devoted to Him. We are typically not faced with such stark responses to the Lord’s prompting, but have you ever wondered if you’re always on the right side of the fence (with the Lord) as you react to what’s going on in your world? Hmm?