Matt. 26:1-131And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples, 2Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified. 3Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, 4And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him. 5But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people. 6Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, 7There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat. 8But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? 9For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor. 10When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me. 11For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always. 12For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial. 13Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her. (Matthew 26:1‑13)
The leaders of Jerusalem, the scribes, priests, and others knew that Jesus had come to the city. They had seen Him and talked with Him; they knew He spoke God’s words, and had done great miracles for the people. Yet they hated Him because He had told them their own sins against God.
So awful was the hatred of those men, that they met together in the palace of the High Priest, the leader in the temple, to plan a way to have Jesus taken and put to death, when the people would not see aim taken. They knew the people believed Jesus had been sent by God, and at that time there were crowds in the city, because many had come for the Passover Feast, and they might prevent such an unjust deed.
One of the disciples heard that those leaders wanted to take Jesus secretly, and this man loved money so much that he went to them and said,
“What will ye give me, and I will deliver Him unto you?”
The leaders were willing to pay, and the price was agreed to, and we later find how the plan was carried through. That was the most wicked bargain ever made, to sell, or betray the Son of God.
Jesus knew their plan, but He did not go away or try to prevent their scheme. Sometime before, He had told His disciples that He would be betrayed and put to death; at this time He told them the exact day: “After two days is the feast of the Passover, and the Son of Man is betrayed to be crucified.”
It is good to read, that at that same time there were other people who wanted to honor Jesus: one man who lived in a village near Jerusalem, made a supper at his home in honor of Jesus; the disciples and others were invited. This man was called Simon, “the leper,” but he must have before been healed, as Jesus had cured many such. And Simon must have been very grateful.
While they were at supper, a woman came with a box of sweet perfumed ointment and poured it on the head of Jesus, which was a custom to show great respect. Such oil was often obtained from other countries and was rare and expensive, used only by the rich.
Some present called the woman’s use of the ointment, “a waste”, and said it could have been sold for much, and the money given to the poor.
But Jesus said that she had done a good work; He said, “Ye have the poor always with you, but Me ye have not always.”
Jesus told them that the woman had done this for His burial. She seems to have heard what Jesus had told them of His death, and desired to give Him the greatest honor she could for that time.
Jesus appreciated her thought of His death so much, that He said her act should be told wherever in all the world the gospel, or story, of Him should be told. From this we know the Lord appreciates those who believe His words, and especially any who give Him honor for His death.
ML 10/24/1943