Mensa Otabil - Jesus' Preference
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John chapter 12, verses 7 and 8: But Jesus said, «Let her alone; for she has kept this for the day of my burial. For the poor you have with you always, but me you do not have always.» After Judas has shown his sanctimonious disdain for what Mary had done, Mary’s worship led the Lord to respond to Judas. The statement of the Lord Jesus Christ carried several messages at various levels. The first was the rebuke: the Lord Jesus rebuked Judas sharply and publicly. He said to Judas, «Let her alone,» and this sharp rebuke was enough to embarrass Judas in the community.
The reason was that the Lord knew Judas was a hypocrite, and if there is anything Jesus Christ has shown throughout his ministry, it is his dislike for hypocrisy. That is why he confronted some of the religious rulers of his day who were hypocritical. When he saw Judas displaying hypocrisy, he rebuked him. Why? Because he knew Judas’s character; he knew the man didn’t have the moral authority, the moral right, to talk about what he was talking about, and he was saying it for his own personal gain.
So that’s the first thing we note: the rebuke. The second is that Jesus commended Mary because he understood the sincerity of her heart. He understood what it cost her to do what she had done, and he commended it. Jesus knew what it took for her to do what she had done.
Jesus sat at the table just a week before his death, and people were having fun while no one was considering him. He had been talking about his death; he had said that when he went to Jerusalem, he was going to die, but people didn’t really pay attention. The only one who paid attention was Mary. She understood that the Lord was about to die, and so she decided to do something significant for Jesus Christ because of how her heart was connected to his mission. After rebuking Judas and commending Mary, Jesus then gives his perspective on what has happened and says something very interesting. He states, «The poor you always have with you.»
Now, what did Jesus Christ mean? Did he mean you shouldn’t take care of poor people? Far from that; Jesus Christ spent much of his life with the poor. He healed their sicknesses, spoke the word of God to them, and on occasion, even fed them. So, Jesus was very committed to the poor; he related to them, and he loved them. However, Jesus also knew that there is another side of worship that is not just showing concern for people but demonstrating devotion to God. In saying this, Jesus emphasized that devotion to God is superior to merely taking care of people’s needs.
This does not mean you shouldn’t care for those in need, but in terms of hierarchy, devotion to God is paramount. He stated that what Mary had done was more important. Additionally, it had prophetic significance regarding his death and resurrection. What we take from this is that we shouldn’t substitute good works for spiritual devotion to God. We cannot say, «Oh, I’ll just do good for people, but I don’t really want to go to church and worship. I don’t want to praise God; I don’t want to serve God; I just want to help people.»
That is not how it works. Your heart must be for God, and you must also help the poor. In this instance, a heart for God was the superior choice, and that is what Mary chose: a heart for God, a devotion expressed to the Lord Jesus Christ. I hope our hearts for God will also be expressed in such generous ways.
Let’s pray. Say with me: Heavenly Father, help me to always make you my priority. I choose to give my best in worship to you. In Jesus' name, amen and amen. Well, I’ll catch you again tomorrow. I’m Pastor Mensa Otabil. Shalom, peace, and life to you.