Matthew – Fulfilled.
I am a mom and I care deeply for my children. I am a teacher and I care deeply for other people’s children. As moms who care deeply, we will do weird things at times (at least weird to our children and the rest of the world), to protect and guard our children from all kinds of danger or evil. We are proactive from our own previous experiences and reactive from gut feelings, intuition. We don’t always think before we act, we just act. We are not thinking of ourselves, we are thinking of our children who we love with our total being. God gave us that kind of love because He loves like that and instills and grows that love in us when we receive and follow Him in an intimate, ever growing relationship.
There was a woman who cared deeply and did a weird thing in front of everyone. She showed her intimate love for Jesus. Others were appalled. Jesus called it significant. Oh, how I love this story that brings tears to my eyes at this moment just picturing this woman coming into a room of important men, a place where she was not invited to be, bending low, breaking open the seal her clay jar of expensive perfume that one saves for their own burial and pouring all of it over her Lord.
Meanwhile, Judas, whose had enough, leaves the room and plans his betrayal of Jesus! See the contrast??? Money and power versus intimate relationship with the Savior and Lord.
Matthew 26, The Message
Anointed for Burial
26 1-2 When Jesus finished saying these things, he told his disciples, “You know that Passover comes in two days. That’s when the Son of Man will be betrayed and handed over for crucifixion.”
3-5 At that very moment, the party of high priests and religious leaders was meeting in the chambers of the Chief Priest named Caiaphas, conspiring to seize Jesus by stealth and kill him. They agreed that it should not be done during Passover Week. “We don’t want a riot on our hands,” they said.
6-9 When Jesus was at Bethany, a guest of Simon the Leper, a woman came up to him as he was eating dinner and anointed him with a bottle of very expensive perfume. When the disciples saw what was happening, they were furious. “That’s criminal! This could have been sold for a lot and the money handed out to the poor.”
10-13 When Jesus realized what was going on, he intervened. “Why are you giving this woman 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, but not me. When she poured this perfume on my body, what she really did was anoint me for burial. You can be sure that wherever in the whole world the Message is preached, what she has just done is going to be remembered and admired.”
14-16 That is when one of the Twelve, the one named Judas Iscariot, went to the cabal of high priests and said, “What will you give me if I hand him over to you?” They settled on thirty silver pieces. He began looking for just the right moment to hand him over.
Think about it…
–Like the woman, I act first then sometimes get into trouble with others. I find myself apologizing often. Jesus sees our hearts and will help us get through those awkward moments. Again, tearfully, I read and feel His compassion when he says to the disgusted onlookers, “Why are you giving this woman a hard time?” She has just done something wonderfully significant for me.”
–WOW! The woman was risking it all to show how much she loved Jesus. She was not seeking significance, but she found it in Christ.
–Jesus adds, “You can be sure that wherever in the whole world the Message is preached, what she has just done is going to be remembered and admired.”
–The woman was a prophet and didn’t know it. Intuition? I don’t think so. It’s more. It’s saying yes to God with nothing held back.
This believer and follower is remembering and praising God for her example and Jesus reaction to her.
Thank you, Lord. May I be all that pleases you with nothing held back.
In Jesus Name, Amen
