Matthew 26 - Another Master

 In Matthew 26:6-13, a woman anointed Jesus in a very expensive act of worship.  

Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table.

John 12:1-11 tells us that woman was Mary and that the event was the celebration dinner following the resurrection of Lazarus.  It was held at Simon “The Leper”, who we can infer was healed by Christ.  Please note that Martha was still serving, this time happily.

The disciples were all indignant, though John’s Gospel adds that Judas, because of his own greed, spoke up for he was in charge of the moneybag and regularly stole from it.

“Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”

This woman and her act of worship has a permanent place of honor.

This honor is multiplied by the contrast of the very next event (Matthew 26:14-16).

Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.

This act of betrayal has a similar permanent place of infamy.  Matthew connects these two events as Judas leaves one master to follow another.  

Please reflect back on the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:24) and impossibility to serve both.

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.