Today’s Podcast
Today’s Scriptures
Today’s Bible reading plans include:
Ready – John 12:1-19
Set – Jeremiah 5; John 12
Go! – Jeremiah 5-6; John 12
John 12:1-19
1 Six days before the Passover feast, Jesus journeyed to the village of Bethany, to the home of Lazarus who had recently been raised from the dead, 2 where they hosted Him for dinner. Martha was busy serving as the hostess, Lazarus reclined at the table with Him, 3 and Mary took a pound of fine ointment, pure nard (which is both rare and expensive), and anointed Jesus’ feet with it; and then she wiped them with her hair. As the pleasant fragrance of this extravagant ointment filled the entire house, 4 Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples (who was plotting to betray Jesus), began to speak.
Judas Iscariot: 5 How could she pour out this vast amount of fine oil? Why didn’t she sell it? It is worth nearly a year’s wages; the money could have been given to the poor.
6 This had nothing to do with Judas’s desire to help the poor. The truth is he served as the treasurer, and he helped himself to the money from the common pot at every opportunity.
Jesus: 7 Leave her alone. She has observed this custom in anticipation of the day of My burial. 8 The poor are ever present, but I will be leaving.
9 Word spread of Jesus’ presence, and a large crowd was gathering to see Jesus and the formerly deceased Lazarus, whom He had brought back from the dead. 10 The chief priests were secretly plotting Lazarus’s murder since, 11 because of him, many Jews were leaving their teachings and believing in Jesus.
12 The next day, a great crowd of people who had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem; 13 so they gathered branches of palm trees to wave as they celebrated His arrival.
Crowds (shouting): Hosanna!
He who comes in the name of the Lord is truly blessed
and is King of all Israel.
14 Jesus found a young donkey, sat on it, and rode through the crowds mounted on this small beast. The Scriptures foretold of this day:
15 Daughter of Zion, do not be afraid.
Watch! Your King is coming.
You will find Him seated on the colt of a donkey.
16 The disciples did not understand any of this at the time; these truths did not sink in until Jesus had been glorified. As they reflected on their memories of Jesus, they realized these things happened just as they were written. 17 Those who witnessed the resurrection of Lazarus enthusiastically spoke of Jesus to all who would listen, 18 and that is why the crowd went out to meet Him. They had heard of the miraculous sign He had done.
Pharisees (to one another): 19 Our efforts to squelch Him have not worked, but now is not the time for action. Look, the world is following after Him.
Today’s Devotional
From today’s background scripture God might say:
Judas decried Mary’s extravegance when she poured the nard on My feet. John characterized Judas as a thief because of his comment. The real question though, from whom did Judas think Mary was stealing?
I didn’t need the money Judas thought about. As I demonstrated with Peter in the incident paying the Temple tax, I produced his tax and Mine from the mouth of a fish. Because I created everything and therefore own everything, I am in need of nothing. His thought of withholding the nard for My use in giving the proceeds to the poor seems pretty ridiculous.
Judas also saw Me feed thousands with just a handful of food. I’m able to multiple the simplest provisions and satisfy any number of needs around Me. Judas watch Me and even participated in the distribution of those provisions on those occasions, so he knew My power. So, no, Judas didn’t steal from Me.
Mary wasn’t stealing from the poor. If she had not poured the nard on My feet, no doubt she would not have sold the nard to give to the poor. She probably had it for her own burial or that of another family member. Judas didn’t think about the use of nard when he blurted out his comment. Lazarus had already died once and nard not used in his burial sat in a jar ready for its next requirement. So, Mary wasn’t stealing from the poor, she stole from a dead man no longer dead. Is that stealing?
So who was Judas stealing from? Himself. He stole his joy and peace in thinking he could gain from material goods instead of lavishing his love on Me. Mary found the source of real joy in pouring out her extravegance on Me. She worshiped Me for who I am. Judas doubted My discourses on who I said I was and looked at the material things of this world to satisfy his longings. Things can never satisfy. Only I can do that.
Mary found the truth in Me. Judas found emptiness, loneliness, and ultimately death and his own destruction in the material things he sought. You also get to choose the path you take. Choose the right one.
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