Different priorities

Mark 14:1-9

¹ Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. ² “But not during the festival,” they said, “or the people may riot.”

³ While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.

⁴ Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? ⁵ It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.

⁶ “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. ⁷ The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. ⁸ She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. ⁹ Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

Time and time again, I am struck but the difference between worldly wisdom and priorities and God’s. Even the people who knew Jesus best missed the deeper significance of the woman’s actions and were distracted by superficial appearances. Jesus, however, cut to the heart of the woman’s actions, looking beyond the surface and seeing the love and devotion in her.

We need to be slow to jump to conclusions and open to the possibility that God has a purpose in everything that happens, even beyond what we can immediately see. The person who was best used by God in this story was the one whose heart was open to him as opposed to the disciples standing on the sidelines, critiquing events. The woman was not put off by their judgement – she finished what she set out to do. I hope that when God calls me to step out and do something I will be as brave as her.

Father God, give me your eyes to see your purpose at work in me and in those around me. Help me not to judge the actions of those around me. Use me, Father, to further your kingdom. In Jesus name Amen

Written by Christine Knight