Six days before the
Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had
raised from the dead. So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and
Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. Mary therefore took a
pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus
and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of
the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray
him), said, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given
to the poor?” He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he
was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what
was put into it. Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the
day of my burial. For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always
have me” (John 12: 1-8).
The hour of Calvary was approaching. Jesus embarked
on His journey to the cross by way of Bethany. The Teacher inspired the
evangelist to take us with the disciples once again to the home of Mary, Martha,
and Lazarus. There is a great contrast between two of the disciples in the
entourage that accompanied the Master. But this time, it is not the difference
between Mary and Martha, for both served the Lord from the heart this night. On
this occasion, the Spirit inspired John to note the difference between Mary and
Judas Iscariot, the treasurer of the disciples. Both were part of the dinner
that honored the Lord and each sought to show Him their devotion. But their
behavior on this night revealed that they had vastly different perceptions of
the Savior and of His impending mission. Today we are reminded that truly knowing
Christ requires a pure heart.
Mary was moved to a public display of very personal
devotion to Jesus as she… “Anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet
with her hair”. This was a dinner of celebration. Lazarus sat at table
with Jesus and the disciples as the undeniable confirmation that Jesus was the
Christ and as the indisputable evidence that He had power over death. Yet Mary
approached her Savior as if He was about to die. What she did was customarily
done to corpses as part of the preparation for burial. The ointment she used for
this anointing was very expensive. She had no concern about the piercing eyes
of the bewildered onlookers. She did not care that they might misunderstand or
judge her. Her heart was compelled by an unselfish devotion to her Lord. What
did she know that no one else knew? How did she know Jesus was soon to die and
that the circumstances of His death would prevent the customary preparation of
His body for burial? Her unselfish devotion to Christ revealed that in her
heart, Mary knew the Son of God better than anyone else in the room.
Judas rebuked Mary’s act of devotion. He claimed
his disapproval was prompted by his concern for the poor, but the Spirit
revealed that in his heart… “He was a thief”. The heart of a
thief is consumed with selfishness. The thief covets what others have and takes
what belongs to them without regard for anyone but self. The eyes of the thief
are on the natural circumstances that surround them and the heart of the thief
is incessantly plotting to manipulate people and things for their own selfish
benefit. His devotion to himself revealed that in his corrupt heart, Judas did
not know the Son of God at all.
Our Teacher reveals the truth that like Judas, even
disciples are vulnerable to the subtle attack of selfishness in the heart. This
is because the heart is the seat of our emotions and it is often difficult for
us to fully understand our own feelings… “The heart is deceitful above
all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9).
The Spirit uses Mary to show us that knowing Jesus requires a pure, unselfish
heart… “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew
5:8). We cannot purify our heart on our own… “Who can say, ‘I have
made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin?’” (Proverbs 20:9). But we
can ask God… “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit
within me” (Psalm 51:10). And God promises He will give us a pure heart
to see and know Christ better… “I will give you a new heart, and a new
spirit” (Ezekiel 36:26).
As we grow up into Christ we trust God to
keep our hearts free from selfishness because…
Knowing
Christ Requires a Pure Heart.
No comments:
Post a Comment