HOLY WEDNESDAY
There isn't much that goes on in Jesus ministry on Holy Wednesday also known as "Spy Wednesday". However this is the day when Jesus is in Bethany, and while there, a woman anointed Jesus’ feet with perfume. It is also the day when the plot of the high priest and the authorities ramp up to kill Jesus.
MATTHEW 26:6-16 (MSG)
When Jesus was at Bethany, a guest of Simon the Leper, a woman came up to him as he was eating dinner and anointed him with a bottle of very expensive perfume. When the disciples saw what was happening, they were furious. “That’s criminal! This could have been sold for a lot and the money handed out to the poor.”
When Jesus realized what was going on, he intervened. “Why are you giving this woman a hard time? She has just done something wonderfully significant for me. You will have the poor with you every day for the rest of your lives, but not me. When she poured this perfume on my body, what she really did was anoint me for burial. You can be sure that wherever in the whole world the Message is preached, what she has just done is going to be remembered and admired.”
That is when one of the Twelve, the one named Judas Iscariot, went to the cabal of high priests and said, “What will you give me if I hand him over to you?” They settled on thirty silver pieces. He began looking for just the right moment to hand him over.
FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH - PASTOR JOHN KIM
Zion goes to a Christian school, where every Wednesday she attends chapel service. As parents, we help Zion prepare for these days, a part of which is to help remind her to set aside money for offering.
For a couple of years, we've been giving Zion a weekly allowance in exchange for her help around the house. From taking out the trash to folding laundry, she can earn up to $20 per week, giving her a taste of financial independence while teaching her the value of hard work. But here's where things got interesting. On one particular Wednesday, as Zion was getting ready for school, we watched in surprise as she decided to put her entire week's allowance into the offering envelope. Cue the parental lecture about the importance of managing money wisely with a side order of guilt tripping: "mom and dad worked really hard for that money. Maybe you should think before you use it". For good measure, we also used the very tried and true, "don't ask mommy and daddy for more later, because you won't get any more!"
Zion's response? Without batting an eye, she said, "mom and dad, I did think about it, and this is how I want to spend my money. I want to give everything I have to God."
Zion 1, mom and dad 0.
I wonder if there isn't a similar piece of this bold, childlike generosity and faith in this woman. She breaks all cultural customs and as a woman, approaches Jesus with an expensive jar of perfume - an entire year's wages worth, to anoint and wash Jesus with tears. It's a beautiful, lavish act of love and adoration - and it helps us see, especially in the midst of the disciples criticism, her deep understanding of Jesus' worth and her willingness to give her best to Him.
In the very next scene, a disciple of Jesus negotiates 30 pieces of silver for the betrayal of his Lord and friend. A lot of scholarly ink has been poured into figuring out exactly how much money that was in Jesus' day. Some people say it wasn't much, but there is one other biblical mention of 30 pieces of silver found in Exodus 21:32 which may offer us a clue. There, we find that it's the exact cost to replace a slave that's been gored by an ox. In order to compensate for a slave's death and burial, God's law saw that 30 pieces of silver would be enough. Jesus' worth to Judas, was the mere price of a lowly slave.
Oh the irony! Jesus' greatest worth to us sinners, is that he is indeed a slave! In the economy of God's great plan of redemption, He sent His one and only Son, who descended from His glory and took on human flesh. And if that wasn't enough humility for God, He went further by assuming the role of a suffering servant, enduring the agony of the most humiliating death (Philippians 2:5-11), so that ultimately, His life could compensate for ours.
Perhaps Matthew aimed to illustrate that, similar to the woman, we should exhibit a heart that prioritizes honoring and glorifying God above all else. However, I also believe that he intended for us to recognize like Judas (albeit in a more praise worthy and grateful way), that the true value of Jesus, is that He is our servant, bearing the weight of our sins, and enduring death on the cross, that we could be fully and ultimately reconciled to God.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
1. How can you respond to Jesus' sacrifice with gratitude and devotion in your daily life?
2. Reflect on the humility and sacrificial love of Jesus in your own spiritual journey. How does Jesus' sacrifice offer hope and reconciliation in your life?
3. Are there any areas of my life where I can be more generous with my time, resources, or talents to honor and glorify God?
There isn't much that goes on in Jesus ministry on Holy Wednesday also known as "Spy Wednesday". However this is the day when Jesus is in Bethany, and while there, a woman anointed Jesus’ feet with perfume. It is also the day when the plot of the high priest and the authorities ramp up to kill Jesus.
MATTHEW 26:6-16 (MSG)
When Jesus was at Bethany, a guest of Simon the Leper, a woman came up to him as he was eating dinner and anointed him with a bottle of very expensive perfume. When the disciples saw what was happening, they were furious. “That’s criminal! This could have been sold for a lot and the money handed out to the poor.”
When Jesus realized what was going on, he intervened. “Why are you giving this woman a hard time? She has just done something wonderfully significant for me. You will have the poor with you every day for the rest of your lives, but not me. When she poured this perfume on my body, what she really did was anoint me for burial. You can be sure that wherever in the whole world the Message is preached, what she has just done is going to be remembered and admired.”
That is when one of the Twelve, the one named Judas Iscariot, went to the cabal of high priests and said, “What will you give me if I hand him over to you?” They settled on thirty silver pieces. He began looking for just the right moment to hand him over.
FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH - PASTOR JOHN KIM
Zion goes to a Christian school, where every Wednesday she attends chapel service. As parents, we help Zion prepare for these days, a part of which is to help remind her to set aside money for offering.
For a couple of years, we've been giving Zion a weekly allowance in exchange for her help around the house. From taking out the trash to folding laundry, she can earn up to $20 per week, giving her a taste of financial independence while teaching her the value of hard work. But here's where things got interesting. On one particular Wednesday, as Zion was getting ready for school, we watched in surprise as she decided to put her entire week's allowance into the offering envelope. Cue the parental lecture about the importance of managing money wisely with a side order of guilt tripping: "mom and dad worked really hard for that money. Maybe you should think before you use it". For good measure, we also used the very tried and true, "don't ask mommy and daddy for more later, because you won't get any more!"
Zion's response? Without batting an eye, she said, "mom and dad, I did think about it, and this is how I want to spend my money. I want to give everything I have to God."
Zion 1, mom and dad 0.
I wonder if there isn't a similar piece of this bold, childlike generosity and faith in this woman. She breaks all cultural customs and as a woman, approaches Jesus with an expensive jar of perfume - an entire year's wages worth, to anoint and wash Jesus with tears. It's a beautiful, lavish act of love and adoration - and it helps us see, especially in the midst of the disciples criticism, her deep understanding of Jesus' worth and her willingness to give her best to Him.
In the very next scene, a disciple of Jesus negotiates 30 pieces of silver for the betrayal of his Lord and friend. A lot of scholarly ink has been poured into figuring out exactly how much money that was in Jesus' day. Some people say it wasn't much, but there is one other biblical mention of 30 pieces of silver found in Exodus 21:32 which may offer us a clue. There, we find that it's the exact cost to replace a slave that's been gored by an ox. In order to compensate for a slave's death and burial, God's law saw that 30 pieces of silver would be enough. Jesus' worth to Judas, was the mere price of a lowly slave.
Oh the irony! Jesus' greatest worth to us sinners, is that he is indeed a slave! In the economy of God's great plan of redemption, He sent His one and only Son, who descended from His glory and took on human flesh. And if that wasn't enough humility for God, He went further by assuming the role of a suffering servant, enduring the agony of the most humiliating death (Philippians 2:5-11), so that ultimately, His life could compensate for ours.
Perhaps Matthew aimed to illustrate that, similar to the woman, we should exhibit a heart that prioritizes honoring and glorifying God above all else. However, I also believe that he intended for us to recognize like Judas (albeit in a more praise worthy and grateful way), that the true value of Jesus, is that He is our servant, bearing the weight of our sins, and enduring death on the cross, that we could be fully and ultimately reconciled to God.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
1. How can you respond to Jesus' sacrifice with gratitude and devotion in your daily life?
2. Reflect on the humility and sacrificial love of Jesus in your own spiritual journey. How does Jesus' sacrifice offer hope and reconciliation in your life?
3. Are there any areas of my life where I can be more generous with my time, resources, or talents to honor and glorify God?