Mark 14:1-11
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Betrayal/Treachery & Love/Devotion
Betrayal/Treachery & Love/Devotion
This event takes place six days before Passover, which would put it on the Friday before the Triumphal Entry (John 12:1).
By placing this story between the accounts of the plot to arrest Jesus, Mark contrast the treachery of Judas and the leaders with the love and loyalty of Mary. The ugliness of their sins makes the beauty of her sacrifice even more meaningful.
Let’s read our passage for the day...
1 It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him, 2 for they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar from the people.” 3 And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. 4 There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? 5 For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her. 6 But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. 8 She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. 9 And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.” 10 Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. 11 And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to betray him.
Neither Mark or Matthew tell us the name in this story but John does in John 12:1-3
1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. 3 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.
Mary is found three times in the Gospel story; and each time, she is at the feet of Jesus!
38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
31 When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. 3 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. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 5 “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 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. 7 Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. 8 For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”
Mary has this beautiful fellowship with the Lord and she sat at His feet and listened to His Word. She is a good model for all of us to follow.
Now wether or not Mary knew what her actions meant or not… Jesus did.
Mary here is expressing her love for Christ because of the fact that He is about to go to the cross and die for her. In anointing His feet (John 12:3) and His head (Mark 14:3).
She is showing her love for Jesus while He is still alive and with them.
Spikenard was imported from India, and a whole jar would have cost the equivalent of a common workers annual income. Mary gave lavishly and lovingly. She was not ashamed to show her love for Christ openly.
Three consequences to her act of Worship
Three consequences to her act of Worship
The House was filled with the beautiful fragrance of the ointment.
The House was filled with the beautiful fragrance of the ointment.
3 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.
Mary had no shame of the actions she was putting forth.
She had no worry of the men around her at the time probably wondering, why is this women in the room sitting with us not serving.
Her all or nothing love for Christ revealed itself through the way in which she did not care about the opinions of others. And because of that, there was an aroma throughout the house that everybody had to experienced.
15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16 to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?
Using this image of the incense, Paul pictured the Christian ministry.
“He saw believers as incense, giving forth the fragrance of Jesus Christ in their lives and labors. To God, believers are the very fragrance of Jesus Christ. To other believers, we are the fragrance of life, but to unbelievers, we are the fragrance of death. In other words, the Christian life and ministry are matters of life and death. The way we live and work can mean life or death to a lost world around us.”
The disciples, led by Judas criticizes Mary for wasting her money.
The disciples, led by Judas criticizes Mary for wasting her money.
This would have been a legit concern by the disciples. Giving gifts to the poor on the eve of the Passover was a customary thing for the Jews.
Many commentators think that it’s Judas leading the complaining here.
And doesn’t he sound so religious, so concerned about the poor, or so the other disciples think.
In all reality he’s not concerned about the poor. Nobody really knows what he’s most concerned about or unhappy about. He’s most concerned about money being the treasurer… but begins to allow money to rule his heart rather than Christ.
Again this contrast between the treachery of Judas and the love of Mary.
Mary shows that Jesus deserves our best. The more we love Jesus, the more we will show it by what we offer to Him.
Often when we show through our actions that Jesus deserves the best… we will be criticized for it. You will be ostracized. People will try to make you feel like you’re doing something wrong.
Wether it’s through the way you handle your relationship with your parents.
Wether it be by the way you handle your finances.
Wether it’s by the way you handle your schedule.
Wether it’s by the way you handle your social life, dating, friendships.
Wether it’s the way you handle your future relationship with your spouse or when you have kids, the way you parent.
Giving Jesus your best will put you into a position to be criticized by those who don’t understand.
Again like Paul says… you will be a fragrance for unbelievers from death to death and for believers from life to life.
Our reward is not in this world… our perspective has to do with experiencing the end goal of hearing the words… “Well done good and faithful servant.” Our concern should be with His approval alone.
Jesus commends Mary and accepts her gracious gift.
Jesus commends Mary and accepts her gracious gift.
Jesus defends Mary’s actions by saying, Leave her alone… Why are you bothering her?… She has done a beautiful thing to me.
Jesus recieved Mary’s gift for what it was - an unselfish act of love and devotion.
Jesus knew the heart of Judas as well as why the others followed suit.
He also knew the heart of Mary.
Jesus points out here that this is entirely appropriate. The opportunity to help the poor would always exist. Jesus cared for the poor himself. YET THIS WAS A VERY SPECIAL OCCASION.
No matter what others may say about our worship and service, the most important thing is that we please the Lord.
When we focus on that… like Mary, word of our love for Christ will effect others around us and for some will effect others for generations to come when e are faithful.
Will our actions reflect those of Judas… being worried constantly about worldly things to the point of treachery, or worried about Kingdom things to the point where we are a sweet aroma to God and other believers.
Will our actions reflect those of Judas… being worried constantly about worldly things to the point of treachery, or worried about Kingdom things to the point where we are a sweet aroma to God and other believers.
Let us constantly be sitting at the feet of Jesus. Finding ways to show our love for him in complete abandonment of our cares of what other people are thinking.