We read Matthew 26 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today. There are two very important truths we'll be looking at. The first is found in verses 6-13:
6 Now when Jesus came back to Bethany and was in the house of Simon the leper, 7 A woman came up to Him with an alabaster flask of very precious perfume, and she poured it on His head as He reclined at table. 8 And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, For what purpose is all this waste? 9 For this perfume might have been sold for a large sum and the money given to the poor. 10 But Jesus, fully aware of this, said to them, Why do you bother the woman? She has done a noble (praiseworthy and beautiful) thing to Me. 11 For you always have the poor among you, but you will not always have Me. 12 In pouring this perfume on My body she has done something to prepare Me for My burial. 13 Truly I tell you, wherever this good news (the Gospel) is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will be told also, in memory of her
I really do NOT believe that these disciples were that concerned with the money given to the poor! I believe that jealousy had raised it's very ugly head! This woman did a most wonderful thing for Jesus and she showed, above all things, just what value she put on HIM! I think that many there were humbled that they had never done anything remotely like this for Jesus, but looked to HIM to bless THEM! THAT is human nature! We ALL have that nature of the flesh to deal with. Spending time in HIS presence will put us in position to rise above our own selfishness and BE a blessing to someone else! AMEN! This same attitude is rampant today among believers who judge and condemn some who have applied Biblical principles to their lives and God has blessed them tremendously. We all know the names some of these believers have called those of us who really believe 3 John 2! This is NOTHING but the jealous spirit that hampered the disciples of Jesus! Any and every believer has the same opportunity to take the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible at His Word and put into practice His instructions concerning our finances and every other area of our lives! CHOICES! Make wise ones for yourself and REFUSE to judge others, so that YOU won't cause judgement to come on your life (Matthew 7:1-2)! AMEN! Now let's look at verses 30-35:
30 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. 31 Then Jesus said to them, You will all be offended and stumble and fall away because of Me this night [distrusting and deserting Me], for it is written, I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered. 32 But after I am raised up [to life again], I will go ahead of you to Galilee. 33 Peter declared to Him, Though they all are offended and stumble and fall away because of You [and distrust and desert You], I will never do so. 34 Jesus said to him, Solemnly I declare to you, this very night, before a single rooster crows, you will deny and disown Me three times. 35 Peter said to Him, Even if I must die with You, I will not deny or disown You! And all the disciples said the same thing.
As we have been reading and studying Matthew again, have you noticed how many times Jesus informed His disciples what was about to happen to Him? They "listened" but they did not "hear"! It was not possible for them to understand His Word yet, because they had not yet been born again, receiving the Holy Spirit to dwell in them and teach them the Word! 1 Corinthians 2:14:
14 But the natural, nonspiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to him; and he is incapable of knowing them [of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming better acquainted with them] because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated. AMP
Did Jesus know that they could not understand Him yet? Of course He did! Why did He still speak these things to them? So that, when they did become born again, the Holy Spirit could bring these things back to their remembrance and they would KNOW! There are some people, including those that we referred to above, who simply do NOT understand the Word of God! Simply being born again will NOT give one the understanding of the Word! It takes a diligent meditation of the Word for the purpose of understanding in order to have that illumination of the Word (Joshua 1:8). It also takes acting on the Word we DO know in order to continue to gain understanding! Have patience with people trying to grow up and mercy for the ignorant! What someone else believes or thinks has absolutely NO effect on your life unless YOU allow it to! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "This Is Our God":
Shalom in Him!
