“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”—Jesus

In moment of eating with friends, you are taken back in emotion over a surprising act of devotion, love, and respect.  But then, after dinner, one of your friends, who you loved and trusted, betrays you secretly without mercy.  It happens.  We live in an imperfect, broken world.

But be encouraged, Jesus knows the world we live in that is full of fickle, unpredictable people. Some believe.  Some do not.  Lost people follow the “influencers” of the day and judge harshly those who do not.  Because of their lostness and indecisiveness, their souls have been sold to evil one who is the father of lies and manipulator of the trouble in this world.  Satan uses people to perpetuate his lies. We are all caught in the crossfire!  Sometimes we even shoot our own!  

Mark 14, The Message

Anointing His Head

^1-2 In only two days the eight-day Festival of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread would begin. The high priests and religion scholars were looking for a way they could seize Jesus by stealth and kill him. They agreed that it should not be done during Passover Week. “We don’t want the crowds up in arms,” they said.

^3-5 Jesus was at Bethany, a guest of Simon the Leper. While he was eating dinner, a woman came up carrying a bottle of very expensive perfume. Opening the bottle, she poured it on his head. Some of the guests became furious among themselves. “That’s criminal! A sheer waste! This perfume could have been sold for well over a year’s wages and handed out to the poor.” They swelled up in anger, nearly bursting with indignation over her.

^6-9 But Jesus said, “Let her alone. Why are you giving her a hard time? She has just done something wonderfully significant for me. You will have the poor with you every day for the rest of your lives. Whenever you feel like it, you can do something for them. Not so with me. She did what she could when she could—she pre-anointed my body for burial. And you can be sure that wherever in the whole world the Message is preached, what she just did is going to be talked about admiringly.”

^10-11 Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the cabal of high priests, determined to betray him. They couldn’t believe their ears, and promised to pay him well. He started looking for just the right moment to hand him over.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

The woman honors Jesus with expensive perfume.  Judas betrays Jesus after dinner.  All in a day’s work for Jesus who came to earth to seek and to save the lost.

In this world, we will have troubles along with the precious times when all goes well.  Through it all, Jesus, our Savior and Lord, makes it well with our souls!

Jesus knows the world in which we are navigating today.  He knows that there are good times along with the difficult moments in our lives that challenge our faith and trust in Him.  But “take heart,” says Jesus!  Jesus has overcome this world and is preparing a place for us in God’s forever Kingdom.  Jesus has already won the war with the prince of darkness who still causes trouble and tries to distract and block our view of God.  We need to remember that we can and will endure temporary skirmishes with evil by calling on the Name of Jesus because it is Jesus who has already won the war!

And that’s not all!  Don’t forget the promise of a Helper, God’s Holy Spirit, who comes in power to live in all who believe.  As we go and tell the Good News of salvation through Jesus, He also promises to be with us always!  All day long and through the night—He is with us.  There is power to obey in Jesus Name!

The woman showed her devotion by giving up her savings of expensive perfume meant for burial embalming.  She gave it up from a deep sense of love for the One who loved her first.

Judas showed the true colors of his heart in his betrayal of Jesus, the One who loved him first.

So, which response to Jesus who loves us, most resembles our lives’ actions?  Yes, I know I’m getting personal as we get right to the heart of the matter. But it is good to evaluate our lives and ask for help with cleansing from God to remove from us what offends Him.

Take heart, Jesus has overcome the world in which we live, too.

Lord,

The thoughts you have led me to this morning are seriously personal and cause me to fall to my knees in humbled gratitude for who you are.  Cleanse my heart, renew my mind, refresh my soul with your new mercies along with your wisdom and discernment, and restore the joy of your salvation at work within me by your power—all because of your amazing love for me.  Thank you!  I love you, Lord with all that is within me.

In Jesus Name, Amen