Daily Devotional

Matthew 26:13 NIV

Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."

The simple act of Mary anointing Jesus’ body with that single jar of perfume has made her name known throughout all the world, just as Jesus promised in this passage. She had influence. Another woman in the Bible known for her influence was Dorcus. You can read her story in Acts 9:32-43. Dorcas had tremendous influence. Because of her life of service to the poor her name became known all over her city. Even now, centuries later, around the world her name is known. Best of all, because of her life’s influence “many people believed in the Lord.” Not only did they glean from her good deeds, they also found eternal salvation in our Lord Jesus.

We all have the opportunity to influence others – for good or bad – whether we realize it or not. We have all been given gifts for the purpose of influencing the world for Christ. It makes me think: what am I doing that is even remotely influential?

One of the primary reasons God leaves us on earth after we receive the Savior is to demonstrate flesh-and-blood proof that Christ lives. We are set-apart from dead religion because we have a living Redeemer. As living stones, do our lives expose an empty tomb and a living, thriving, personal God? Are we proof God lives?

To really live we need a passion for Jesus and our purpose is to serve Him. Passion and purpose fulfill more of our human needs than health or wealth. Plenty of healthy and wealthy people feel dead, meaningless, and hopeless. We represent hope to people who may have given up on finding real life. We are stones rolled away, giving them a glance into the empty tomb. We provide evidence that Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life. Do yourself and your neighbors a great big favor. Don’t wait for death to really live. Tell God you want to be a neon sign of life – lingering proof of the resurrection.”

“Here’s another way to put it: you’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this.” – Jesus Christ, Matthew 5:14 (The Message).

• Who has made an eternal impact on you? Have you ever thanked them?
• Name three people whom you have regular contact with. Are you influencing them in the way of Christ?

Matthew 26:11 NIV

The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me.

If you’re passionate about helping those in poverty as much as I am, you’ll understand why I find this verse a little discouraging. I’d love to imagine a world where we no longer see human beings suffer for just the bare essentials to maintain physical life: water, food, shelter. However, Jesus says the poor will always be among us. As sad as that is, I am grateful to be reminded of God’s promises regarding the poor.

The Bible is full of references to “the poor.” In some cases they refer to the spiritually poor, but quite often the Bible is specifically talking about those who lack life’s basic needs – food, clean water, clothing and shelter. One of my favorite verses referring to the poor is found in Paul’s letter to the Galatians. “All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.” Galatians 2:10. The reason I love this passage is its simplicity. Here the apostles James, Peter, John, Paul and Barnabus discuss who would take the Gospel where and at that point they’d agreed that Paul and Barnabus should go to the Gentiles and James, Peter and John to the Jews. However, even in all the excitement and planning they remembered the poor. They knew if they went off to preach the gospel but forgot the poor, they wouldn’t be fulfilling their responsibilities as disciples of Christ. I love seeing these brothers in Christ keeping each other accountable and spurring each other on.

We all need to be reminded. We are so blessed to live in a country like ours that it’s easy to forget the millions of people living in poverty. I’ve had the privilege of visiting the poverty-stricken country of Haiti twice. From those trips I now have a very real awareness of what poverty looks like and because of this I will not easily forget “the poor.” If you ever have an opportunity to serve the world’s poorest, I encourage you to go! Sometimes we just don’t understand until we see things with our own eyes. I have the unique privilege of working every day with people right here in our own city who live in poverty. They are just like you and me – with emotions, families, talents and souls. They just don’t have the same privileges you and I do. They don’t have access to the same opportunities. My most treasured moments in serving have been among people such as these.

“He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry.” Psalm 147:7

• What can you do to help the poor in our city?
• Like Paul had his disciples, do you have someone to hold you accountable to the cause of the poor?
• What keeps you from participating in ministry to the poor?

Matthew 26:10 NIV

Aware of this, Jesus said to them, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me.

Have you ever been bullied? Ever had someone speak out against you when you were just trying to do what was right? Mary was bulled. She brought an alabaster jar of perfume worth a year’s wages and anointed Jesus as an act of preparing Him for burial. She knew the time was at hand and that her beloved friend and Savior with her much longer. Judas and other disciples thought she was wasteful and didn’t understand why she would do such a thing. Thankfully, Jesus did.

Jesus wasted no time in rebuking Judas for his assault against Mary’s action. He told Judas to leave her alone and let him know what Mary did for Him was a beautiful and remarkable thing. He said the entire future world would know her name because of her actions (vs. 13). I love this picture of Jesus defending Mary. He didn’t just sit there and allow Judas to say harsh things, but got involved and took action to defend her. I’m sure that just ate Judas up to hear Jesus say Mary’s name would be known throughout the world just as His own. Judas wanted fame, power and wealth and his actions proved it. Mary simply wanted Jesus.

Scripture is filled with verses about how God acts as our Defender. When our hearts are pure and our actions are led by pure motives, God will defend us and protect us from those who bring us trouble. Serving God will not always bring accolades from this world. In fact, in may bring just the opposite. It’s a daily choice to live according to the values Jesus exemplified for us in the gospels. In Max Lucado’s book, A Gentle Thunder he writes:

“On one side stands the crowd.
Jeering. Baiting. Demanding.
On the other side stands a peasant.
Swollen lips. Lumpy eye. Lofty promise.
One promises acceptance,
the other a cross.
One offers flesh and flash,
the other offers faith.
The crowd challenges, “Follow us and fit in.”
Jesus promises, “Follow me and stand out.”
They promise to please.
God promises to save.
God looks at you and asks…
Which will be your choice?

Jesus doesn’t offer a life with no trouble. In fact, Jesus tells us to expect trouble (Jn 16:33). Peter goes even further to say we will feel like aliens in this world and others will accuse us of doing wrong (1 Peter 2:11-12). Thankfully, miraculously, Jesus has “overcome the world” (John 16:33). We can have a relationship with Jesus that produces peace and comfort even in the midst of our accusers. Victory has already been won, and therefore we can claim the peace of Christ even in the most troubling times.

• What will you do to guard against the intrigues of the world that go against God’s will for you?
• Are you living for your own pleasure without regard for those around you? 

Matthew 26:8-9 NIV

When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. "Why this waste?" they asked. "This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor."

Judas. Just the name brings all kinds of thoughts and images to our minds, doesn’t it? Deceit. Traitor. Liar. Thief. Betrayer. Killer. After all, he was the man responsible for turning Jesus in to the angry, murderous soldiers – all for 30 silver coins (Matt. 26:15), which was the common price for a slave.

Judas was a thief long before this ultimate selfish deed was done. He was treasurer for the disciples; and as they traveled they collected money – both for the poor and for their own needs. Judas would often take money from their treasury and use it for his own desires (John 12:6). Jesus likely knew what Judas was doing and was well aware he was leaving himself vulnerable to Satan’s plans for devastation.

Here in Matthew 26:8-9, we see Judas’ deception at work. While Matthew’s account doesn’t single Judas out as the one claiming Mary’s act of anointing Jesus with expensive perfume was wasteful, John lets us know it was. Judas rightfully claims the perfume could’ve been sold and the money given to the poor rather than used for this strange display of affection he didn’t understand. Even though he has already given his heart and his motives over to the Deceiver, Judas is still keeping up the act of a devoted follower of Jesus by expressing concern over the poor. However, Judas’ claim isn’t at all a concern for the poor. He saw the perfume for the profit he could’ve made had the money been entrusted into his care.

Mary’s reaction isn’t recorded, but I can imagine it was frustrating in the least. Have you ever given someone something or done something for another person or for God that was completely misunderstood? People won’t always understand the actions we take for the Lord.

I actually find myself feeling sorry for Judas for his obvious lack of understanding of what Mary was doing and why Jesus had to die. How sad to be so close to your Savior and not recognize Him as such. Misunderstanding Jesus doesn’t give us the right to sin, though. In the end, Judas chose his path and God allowed it.

• How has your misunderstanding of who Jesus is led you to sin?
• Ask God today to reveal how you misunderstand His ways and ask Him to protect you from being lead astray.

Matthew 26:6-7 NIV

While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.

We’ve all heard it said the best things in life are free. While I don’t entirely disagree, I see it more as a half-truth. It’s true love, sunsets, freedom, and similar things cost us nothing, and are some of life’s most wonderful gifts. However, the “free” part of the gift only applies to the receiver. Behind all of those gifts is a giver who had to sacrifice for us to receive it; and a gift given out of sacrifice is a gift of rare value.

The woman in today’s scripture reading is Mary – sister of Martha and Lazarus and a close friend of Jesus Christ. She is just an ordinary girl with an extraordinary friend. She and her siblings had the honor of hanging out with Jesus, entertaining Him in their home and witnessing Him perform unforgettable miracles; including seeing their own brother, Lazarus, raised from the dead! This is the same man Jesus wept over at the sight of his tomb (John 11: 1-44). Because of this relationship with Jesus, Mary understood, perhaps even more than Jesus’ disciples, why Jesus was to be sacrificed. She was known as the sister who focused her attention on Jesus’ words rather than Jesus’ needs and was commended for it (Luke 10:38-42). Mary sat at the feet of Jesus, soaked in His words and held a deep understanding and love for Him.

In this story, we see Mary once again at the feet of Jesus, however this time it is her turn to pour out her love on Jesus. She said nothing – letting her actions speak for her. This particular alabaster jar held expensive perfumed oil that cost a year’s wages (Mark 14:3-9 or John 12:1-11). In Matthew’s account we are told Mary poured the perfume over Jesus’ head, while John and Mark’s accounts tell of His feet being wiped with her hair. Whether Mary realized it or not (I suspect she did), she was preparing Jesus’ body for burial. What a beautiful picture of love Mary has showed Jesus through this action, not to mention the sacrifice it cost her. A free gift to Jesus cost Mary a year’s wages as well as having to endure the scorn and sneers of those standing by. I have a feeling she didn’t mind one bit because she understood the free gift she was about to receive and the sacrifice He would make to give it.

• What are some of the “free” gifts you’ve received? Have you ever thanked the giver for their sacrifice?
• Ask God today to reveal to you ways you can honor Him with your gifts.