“Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.”
Indeed… This gospel is being preached in the whole world! But why is it that this woman will be remembered for what she did? This devotional is something special to me because of what this woman did, and I hope it will prove the same for you. Because it might be that you are troubled by this idea of value; value as—your faith in Jesus Christ to be your personal Lord, and Savior, who took away your sin—wondering whether you are worthy of such an anointing of salvation (1 Jo 2:27) by thoughts and feelings of past issues and present sins? How value is weighed and measured from a human or carnal perspective is costly because it’s deceptive. God is patient toward the activity of sin in this world for you, right now, reading this, because even the most unworthy can hear and believe this good news if their willing to receive it. But put this memory of the woman in your heart and mind as we learn just how worthy you are to God through what Jesus Christ did.
When Jesus was in Bethany, at the home of Simon the leper, a woman came to Him with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume, and she poured it on His head as He reclined at the table. But the disciples were indignant when they saw this, and said, “Why this waste? “For this perfume might have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.” But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you bother the woman? For she has done a good deed to Me. “For you always have the poor with you; but you do not always have Me. “For when she poured this perfume on My body, she did it to prepare Me for burial. Notice how all the disciples became indignant or angrily suspicious at this treatment because their focus was in the value of the perfume, instead of Jesus. And one disciple in particular became so twisted in the heart giving root to that emotion of indignation sought the opportunity to betray Jesus (Matt 26:14-16) through the temple priests already conspiring how to kill Jesus (Matt 26:1-5); Judas Iscariot became the how to for the priests already under the influence of evil; the invisible work of the devil uses the justice and love of God to manipulate the human perception, in this case, the minds of the temple priests and the heart of Judas Iscariot.
Justice is the law of God that Jesus Christ fulfilled and still proclaims today (Mat 5:17, Mat 12:18); which means the continued sacrifice of lambs, the temple building and priests, have no longer been necessary for the forgiveness of sins; the death and burial of Jesus Christ is the passing of the old covenant, while the new covenant is born in His bodily resurrection (a new body). And the reason this woman anointed Jesus with the costly perfume is because she perceived the significance of the burial. The perfume represents you and the fragrance of you is a soothing aroma to God. Your faith is that fragrance of Jesus Christ to God that produces salvation in you as your sin dies and is buried forever by believing that your sin was taken away to the cross of Jesus Christ. It is buried in history. You are free! Now that we believe with confidence that Jesus was raised from the dead, we too are raised from the dead by grace through faith, having a clean conscience before the throne of God (a new body). Your sin has no power over you. So turn from your sin, and have eternal life in Jesus Christ (the Son of Man).
The featured image is from The CHOSEN season 1 episode 8 and it turns out that this series is reaching the world with the gospel just as this verse with words in red indicate would happen. And no, this is not a paid mention for The Chosen or any favor. This is just information, and hope, for reaching the world with the gospel that preaches Jesus Christ.
"NOT WITH INK" 