Wednesday – “A BETTER Offering”
Verse: I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.” -Matthew 26:13
Read: Matthew 26:1-13
Can you think of a boring story of a treasure hunt? In fact when you hear those two words; Treasure Hunt; doesn’t it bring a level of excitement. You sit up, your mind wanders a bit less and you’re probably reading more intently right now. Thats because there is always risk to to the hunt. The treasure hunter is willing to risk their life to get the treasure. It’s exciting to us because for most of us, we’re not risk takers.
We all look out for ourselves. We aim to protect what is ours, to get what we don’t have, and control what we give away. We are preservers. We are protectors. We are people who like being number one. This passage describes how Judas spends this day conspiring with the high priest about how to deliver Jesus into their hands. He is looking out for himself. His journey with Jesus had been great, but now Jesus was making statements about leaving and it looked like Judas might loose everything. So Judas was going to get what he could to not get left in the lurch.
In contrast, we see Mary who is with Jesus and the disciples in Simon the Leper’s house. She decides to spill a large jar of oil all over Jesus, covering both His head and His feet. She sees who Jesus is, recognizes He is the true Messiah, and anoints Him with her most treasured possession. Why, because she has now found a treasure of even more value, Jesus. Even the disciples think it’s a waste, and they condemn her for her lack of wisdom in her offering. If they had understood who Jesus was, would they have reacted like that? Probably not.
Jesus is a better offering for us. He is an offering to make the world right with His Father. When we grasp that, it compels us to give Him our most treasured possessions because we understand that He is now our most treasured possession of all. When we see Jesus for who He is, we stop looking out for ourselves and look out for Him. We look for opportunities to lay our lives down in worship of Him.
How can you let go and focus on Jesus this day? How can you allow yourself to trust in Him instead of yourself?