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Ari Goldstein on Unsplash
If you have an electronic device, you have seen countless armchair commentaries about the assignation of the former president. The stories are full of finger pointing that this person should be fired, and that person did it wrong, they should have done this; the after-the-fact advice is endless.
The point isn’t that things were mishandled, and accountability should not be forthcoming. The fact is the endless commentaries about the coulda, shoulda, and woulda surrounding it.
It reminds me of a story in the New Testament book of John about Mary, the sister of Lazarus.
“Six days before Passover, Jesus entered Bethany where Lazarus, so recently raised from the dead, was living.
Lazarus and his sisters invited Jesus to dinner at their home. Martha served. Lazarus was one of those sitting at the table with them.
Mary came in with a jar of very expensive aromatic oils, anointed and massaged Jesus’ feet, and then wiped them with her hair. The fragrance of the oils filled the house.
Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, even then getting ready to betray him, said,
“Why wasn’t this oil sold and the money given to the poor? It would have easily brought three hundred silver pieces.”
He said this not because he cared two cents about the poor but because he was a thief. He was in charge of their common funds, but also embezzled them.”
John 12:1-6 The Message
Judas was a follower of Christ but not a Christ-follower, and on this day, he became an armchair commentator on the actions of Lazarus’s sister.
If you saw the episode of The Chosen depicting this story, it is likely fresh in your mind.
The Apostle John’s account of the story is after the fact because he recognizes Judas as Christ’s would-be traitor. He points out how upset Judas was at the wasted use of this very expensive oil. He then publically scolds Mary, saying the sale price could have been used to serve the poor.
On the other hand, Mary was acting on a prompting by God based on a love for Jesus. The desire to honor him transcended the monetary amount of the oil.
She was financially able to purchase the oil, so she did.
A brief rabbit trail
The scripture does not indicate why Mary did what she did. It is safe to assume that she was grateful for Jesus raising her brother from the dead. However, her motive for this act is not revealed.
I believe God the Holy Spirit tapped the love in her heart for Jesus and prompted her to anoint his head and feet. In other words, it was a symbolic representation of love and appreciation.
The Bible does not say why Mary chose spikenard, but she would have known its ceremonial use, which for Hebrews was burial.
I believe God the Holy Spirit prompted her to get this oil, and without questioning its significance, she obeyed.
The tale of two hearts
The Apostle John’s account of this story names Judas and reveals what turned him into an armchair commentator.
“He said this not because he cared two cents about the poor but because he was a thief. He was in charge of their common funds, but also embezzled them.”
John 12:6 The Message
The reason for Judas’s commentary was to defer the intent of his heart.
In other words, Judas was indignant because he lost access to three hundred pieces of silver (money he could have used for himself).
Judas’s heart was filled with lust and self-preservation.
On the other hand, Mary’s heart was filled with love and self-denial because she willingly surrendered three hundred pieces of silver (which she could do) to show her love for Jesus.
Neither party knew that their actions revealed their hearts and future.
Judas fulfilled the prophecy by buying a field with the bribery money and hanging himself from a tree in that field.
Mary was written in scripture as the woman who (obeying the prompting of God the Holy Spirit) anointed Jesus for his burial.
Life lessons for learning
- You must be careful offering armchair commentaries because they could reveal your heart.
What is your motive for saying anything about a situation?
Is it to offer help or criticism?
Is it to point to a solution or an accusation?
- Your actions reveal your heart.
Judas’s actions were preceded by his words, which revealed his heart. His knee-jerk reaction spoke volumes about why he wasn’t a Christ-follower.
Judas may have initially followed Christ because he believed what he said, but somewhere in the process, his heart grew hard toward Jesus.
- God the Holy Spirit is the active agent of the Godhead on the earth today, but the triune God has always been, and the Bible is filled with examples of his presence in Old and New Testament stories.
Mary’s story is an example of how he works. You may not understand why you are prompted to do something, but your willingness to obey could be your key to victory.
There is a place in scripture that says something: after Jesus was risen from the dead, the disciples remembered the scriptures about the events in his life.
In like manner, your willingness to obey when you do not understand will be revealed after the fact.
A close personal relationship with the Godhead provides you a living hope. It is a living anticipation full of expectation of something good happening.
A close personal relationship with the Godhead is a journey. I invite you to follow along. As I learn, I will pass it along so you, too, can learn. I hope that as you learn, you can pass it along so that I (and others) might learn.
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