It was now two days before the feast of the Passover and the unleavened bread, and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might seize him by deception, and kill him. For they said, “Not during the feast, because there might be a riot of the people.” (14:1-2)
The chief priests and many scribes were planning my death. Yet, it was also the time of Passover and they did not want any disruption of their feast. What was the most ironic is that I came to bring the Passover to its fulfillment, by giving my life for many, yet the leaders did not understand what was happening. The Father was going to use their blindness to fulfill His plan. They did not want any disruption, they wanted the Passover celebration to happen as it had happened for so long, without change. I was not going to bring disruption, but a major change. I was the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world, I was both the perfect high priest and the perfect sacrifice, and I was going to bring the meaning and importance of Passover to a whole new level. As a fulfillment of the covenant brought through Moses, I was going to offer the new covenant through my blood, for all my disciples.
While he was at Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster jar of ointment of pure nard—very costly. She broke the jar, and poured it over his head. But there were some who were indignant among themselves, saying, “Why has this ointment been wasted? For this might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, and given to the poor.” They grumbled against her. (14:3-5)
Some of my disciples did not understand the gesture of this woman. They thought that it was pious to scold her and to tell her that this ointment would have been better used if it had been sold and the money given to the poor. You can notice here a very common feature among men, the tendency to replace the faith in God by a set of rules. Faith is about relationship, about love. Yet, it is tempting to many to define a set of rules and to analyze every situation though this set of rules. I do not want my disciples to be slaves to a set of rules, even if they sound beautiful and very pious. What I want my disciples to do is to learn to welcome the Holy Spirit, to let our love rule in their hearts as they follow me. Love adapts to every situation, love listens to the Father, and it does not repeat stereotyped actions. Whoever is born of the Spirit is like the wind, you don’t know where it comes from or where it goes, but you hear its voice. I do want you to take care of the poor, to show mercy and love, yet you have to learn to listen to me and to adapt to every situation. You cannot limit your faith to a set of rules, it would not be pleasing to me or to the Father. The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. In this story, you have on the one hand a woman who was sensitive to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and who showed love. On the other hand, others were concerned with ‘pious’ rules or hypocritical, and they scolded her and did not show love.
But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for me. For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want to, you can do them good; but you will not always have me. She has done what she could. She has anointed my body beforehand for the burying. Most certainly I tell you, wherever this Good News may be preached throughout the whole world, that which this woman has done will also be spoken of for a memorial of her.” (14:6-9)
I did not respond harshly to these disciples, but continued to teach them. This religious attitude that tries to squeeze all your guidance into a fixed set of rules has always been a temptation to men, and this is a temptation for each of my disciples. I wanted to help them see that the situation was very unique, and required a unique attitude. They did not understand clearly that I was going to die, to offer my life out of love for them, but this woman did understand. She gave what was most precious to her, in order to show her devotion to me. That was a beautiful gesture and I commended her for this. She is still celebrated today because of this.
In the midst of trying times, when you see dark clouds come in your life, don’t forget that it is my love that will guide you through. Don’t forget that by loving God and loving your neighbor, by welcoming the Holy Spirit to guide you, you will go through these trying times and will grow in our love. This was the case for this woman, this can be the case for you also.
What she did was important, she was really sensitive to the Holy Spirit and she did a beautiful thing. It was beautiful for different reasons. First, she showed that I was more important to her than her most precious belongings, and she wanted to store treasures in heaven and not on earth. Second, she showed an example that helped my disciples to become more clearly aware of my coming death. Third, she did anoint my body for my burial. Fourth, the perfume she poured on my head would be a testimony of my dignity even in the midst of the coming humiliations. I would be stripped of my clothes, wounded, spit at, insulted and crucified, yet this smell of king, this ointment of pure nard would not leave me. When the high priest condemned me to death, he could not help but smell this gracious perfume. When the soldiers humiliated me, struck me, put a crown of thorn on my head, they also smelled this perfume on my head. When Pilate interrogated me, he also smelled the perfume that this woman poured on my head. When soldiers pierced my hands and my feet and crucified me, they also smelled this perfume. Through her act of faith, this woman proclaimed that all that was going to happen was part of the plan of love of the Father, and that nothing could remove the dignity of Son of God that I had. Despite all the suffering, this perfume of honor accompanied me up to the cross.
In the same way, remember that as you let the Holy Spirit fill you and guide you, you will spread around you the smell of our presence. It will be a smell of life to those who open their hearts to my love. It will be a nagging smell of death to those who despise us. Don’t forget this dignity and honor that accompanies every child of God, don’t let the world make you believe that you have no value and that they can strip you from our love. Trust in us, remain faithful to our love, and the Holy Spirit will tell you what to say and what to do, even when you face suffering and humiliations. Remember the smell of honor, behave like a child of the Father, and we will see you through. As this perfume, the Holy Spirit will accompany you through the valley of the shadow of death, we will guide you and you will be at my side, you will then join us to be forever in the fellowship of the saints in heaven.
Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went away to the chief priests, that he might deliver him to them. They, when they heard it, were glad, and promised to give him money. He sought how he might conveniently deliver him. (14:10-11)
Judas, one of my own disciples, gave to the chief priests a way to catch me without disrupting their Passover celebration. It was him who was leading the group scolding the woman who anointed me. It was him who, with hypocrisy, pretended that this ointment could have been sold and the money given to the poor. Yet, it was also him who was stealing form the money bag. He could not get the money of this ointment, and went to the chief priests and took their money. He did not understand me, my message became offensive to him and he chose to betray me. It was painful to me, yet it was not a surprise.
In your life, there will be time when you don’t understand why some things happen, why suffering is not avoided, why your plans that seemed good to you are not fulfilled. Yet, I encourage you to learn from Judas that when you reject me you will end up in bitterness. You can get money in this world in ways that don’t honor me, yet this will be a bitter money that will lead to your death. I have the words of eternal life, and with me you will find a peace that the world cannot give. Don’t let the fear of suffering dominate your heart, or the greed for money or power. All this is temporary and doesn’t give you real peace or joy.
Remember the woman who anointed me, remember Judas. They are two opposite paths when you face trying times. One chose to give and become a blessing, the other chose to take and it became a curse for himself. The first path leads you to peace and joy, the second one leads you to bitterness and death.
The Father has placed before you the path of eternal life and the path of sinful death, choose life.
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