Counting the Cost
Mark 14:1-10
Mark 14:1–10 (NLT): It was now two days before Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The leading priests and the teachers of religious law were still looking for an opportunity to capture Jesus secretly and kill him. 2 “But not during the Passover celebration,” they agreed, “or the people may riot.”
3 Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy. While he was eating, a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard. She broke open the jar and poured the perfume over his head.
4 Some of those at the table were indignant. “Why waste such expensive perfume?” they asked. 5 “It could have been sold for a year’s wages and the money given to the poor!” So they scolded her harshly.
6 But Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. Why criticize her for doing such a good thing to me? 7 You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want to. But you will not always have me. 8 She has done what she could and has anointed my body for burial ahead of time. 9 I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.”
10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests to arrange to betray Jesus to them.
S-harp Tongued- v.5b
T-welve are at odds- v.4
I-nvasive opinions- v.6
N-othing is sacred- v. 1-2
G-reed, the desire for more money- v.5a
Y-our friend no more- v.10-11
While the disciples were spending time arguing on a High and Sacred Holiday, this woman, with a heart to understand not only who Jesus is, but also understood that He soon would be dead, performs something that is both deemed High and Sacred. Her anointing Jesus commends and tells the men to tell everybody about what she did. Judas lacked understanding at this time and was so upset with the whole situation that he went to the chief priests with his complaint (gossip and slander), which surprised them for some reason (?), and then Judas plots to undermine Jesus from that moment on. All of this was done on a sacred holiday remember how the Death Angel passed over the houses in Egypt that had placed the lamb’s blood on their door post. Now Judas has blood on his hands instead.