1 It was two days before the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him, 2 for they said, “Not during the festival, or there may be a riot among the people.”
3 While he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment of nard, and she broke open the jar and poured the ointment on his head. 4 But some were there who said to one another in anger, “Why was the ointment wasted in this way? 5 For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor.” And they scolded her. 6 But Jesus said, “Let her alone; why do you trouble her? She has performed a good service for me. 7 For you always have the poor with you, and you can show kindness to them whenever you wish, but you will not always have me. 8 She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for its burial. 9 Truly I tell you, wherever the good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.”
Prayer Focus: The chief priests and scribes were looking for a way to arrest Jesus and kill him, but they are still afraid of the crowds. Jesus continues to spend the night outside the city in Bethany and eats dinner at the house of Simon the leper. What? Simon the leper? If Jesus wants to participate in any of the religious festivals he must be ritually “clean.” Sitting at the house of a leper would immediately render Jesus unclean. So, he’s already disrupting decorum, but then a woman comes and pours expensive ointment on his head. Jesus recognizes that she is anointing him for his burial. Sure the ointment could have been sold and the money given to the poor. There will be time for that once Jesus is gone. This week, we need to walk with Jesus. Give thanks for this woman who cares for Jesus for whenever the good news is proclaimed in the whole world what she has done will be remembered.
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