The PassionSample

The interaction between Jesus and the woman in today’s passage only lasts a few verses, but Jesus states that it will be remembered throughout the world wherever the gospel is preached. Why is this such a significant moment? Judas called out the woman at this moment, indignant that she was wasting a year's wages, where it could be used to serve the poor or needy. We read in John 12:6 that Judas didn’t truly care for the poor but was a thief and thought of it as money that he could keep for himself.

I must admit, I can’t help but see where Judas was coming from. That money could have been used to serve the poor, but I think this woman saw something that I missed. She was serving and glorifying Jesus. He was who she truly treasured. It may seem foolish to ‘waste’ her perfume in a moment, but that is the foolishness of the gospel. Living for Jesus and serving Him with our whole heart requires us to waste or sacrifice things that the world says we should hold on to.

Perhaps you don’t have an extremely expensive perfume bottle to pour on Jesus' feet, but what other resources are you holding back from Him? A friend shared with me recently about how she is learning to ‘waste time with, and for Jesus’. Life’s time and resources might pull us in many different directions, but what we truly treasure will ultimately dictate what we do with our lives.

Today, ponder this: What are you holding back from Jesus because you are treasuring something more than Him? What can you ‘waste’ for Jesus today?