Matthew 26:1-13

“Why do you make trouble for this woman? She’s done a good thing for me.” - Matthew 26:10b CEB

We’ve now made the final turn to the last days of Jesus’ life. And if the Triumphant Entry was a noisy circus, the woman pouring perfume on Jesus is the exact opposite. We find a moment of stillness before the chaos ramps up again, and we sit with this woman as she offers a quiet act of devotion.

This woman has acquired some very expensive perfume, and she lavishes it upon Jesus with excessive love and devotion. And the response creates a moment of tension. Jesus, on one hand, acknowledges its significance: she is honoring him fully, in advance, and sacrificially. But the disciples, on the other hand, struggled with fear and calculation. Was this really the best use of this woman’s money?

But Jeus reframes this moment, reminding them of her acknowledgement of Jesus’ presence. She was there, in the moment, offering her wholehearted worship to Jesus. 

How often do we miss the moment because we’re too busy counting the cost or factoring other variables? Where are we not present when Jesus is calling us to sit at his feet? Where is our fear overshadowing our awareness of God’s presence? 

We may not make a habit of pouring perfume on others to anoint them in our current culture, but we do still have a responsibility to be present wholeheartedly with those around us. How can we make space for that today? - Allison