Whose Side?

Today’s Reading: Matthew 26:1-16

Just 16 short verses, but so much going on. Jesus is once again preparing the disciples for his death, the chief priests and elders are planning his capture and murder, the woman with the alabaster box is pouring her expensive perfume out on Jesus, the disciples are complaining that she is foolish and being wasteful, and Judas is trying to turn a profit by using Jesus. So of course I have to ask myself, if I were living during this time where would I fit in? Whose side would I be on? Even the disciples who were for Jesus didn’t understand the woman’s gesture. Speaking of the woman, we don’t even know her name and we can assume she probably didn’t know as much about Jesus as the priests, elders, disciples, or Judas did, yet her faith in him seemed to be greater at this moment. She didn’t have to know everything about Jesus, she only had to know that he was her Savior, that he was the true Son of God. She poured everything she had out upon Jesus, not expecting anything in return. When is the last time you truly poured yourself out to Jesus? When is the last time you prayed to Him and didn’t ask for something in return? I don’t know about you, but the last question hit home for me----it seems that I am always asking him for something. While there is nothing wrong with seeking Jesus for answers to something we need or even want, I think that sometimes he just wants us to praise him for what we have already been blessed with and most of us have so many things. However, if the only thing that I had was salvation granted by Jesus, then that would be blessing enough to praise him continuously.

It seems to me that this women sold out for Jesus, she put everything she had into him. That is what is takes my friend, if we are going to make it in this world we have to sell out to Jesus. We cannot have it both ways---we either sell out to Jesus or we are sold out to Satan. Sometimes it’s not as obvious as it was with Judas, when he collected those 30 silver coins, Satan collected his soul, but we have to be careful of where this world is trying to lead us---with every step we have to look to our guide, Jesus, to be sure that we are on the right path and taking the right steps.

I want to be like the woman with the alabaster box, not caring what the world thinks, not concerned about what Jesus’ disciples were saying about her, but only concerned with pouring out her love upon Jesus. I have to wonder if this woman knew the significance of her actions, if she knew that the perfume was part of the preparation for Jesus’ burial. I think she was probably doing what God told her to do, what her heart felt lead to do. So many times I try to reason everything out, but you know when God speaks to us, we are to just do it without hesitation, after all, he is only doing it for our benefit.