Two Pictures - One Beautiful, the Other Tragic | A SOAP Devotional, by Pastor Jamie

Read Matthew 26:6-16 - Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy. 7 While he was eating, a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume and poured it over his head. 8 The disciples were indignant when they saw this. “What a waste!” they said. 9 “It could have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.” 10 But Jesus, aware of this, replied, “Why criticize this woman for doing such a good thing to me? 11 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me. 12 She has poured this perfume on me to prepare my body for burial. 13 I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.” 14 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests 15 and asked, “How much will you pay me to betray Jesus to you?” And they gave him thirty pieces of silver. 16 From that time on, Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.

Here we have two pictures- one a faithful act of sacrifice for Jesus by an unnamed woman and another an act of betrayal by an alleged friend. The woman lavished Jesus with anointing oil valued at a year's wages revealing extravagant generosity and authentic discipleship as she prepared His body for death and burial. She got a 100 on her final exam in being grasped by the way of Jesus. Judas, on the other hand, had been with Jesus for three years through so much mission and ministry. He saw first-hand Jesus perform all kinds of miracles, signs, and wonders, and he listened to every moment of teaching. But...now there is betrayal. Why? Now Betray. It was either out of greed or an attempt to force Jesus to become the political Messiah he was hoping for- one who would violently overthrow Roman oppression and bring in Judas' vision of the Kingdom of God. We know Judas will choose to take his own life in grief for what he'd done or because his dream was dead. One picture is beautiful. The other is tragic. One is faithful. The other is an act of despair.

Judas wasn't the only one to betray Jesus. In fact, later in this same chapter we will see Peter deny even knowing Jesus. The difference between Judas' betrayal and Peter's denial is that Judas gave up the hope of redemption. Judas failed to grasp Jesus' message to the point where he couldn't imagine being forgiven for his act of betrayal. Judas gave up trusting Jesus. Peter trusted in Him enough to wait for the next chapter in his story with Him. Earlier in chapter 18 Peter when pointedly asked who people say Jesus is declared, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." But more importantly than Peter believing in Jesus is the truth that Jesus believed in him. Even in betrayal Peter trusted Jesus loved him. Judas forgot. The Bible is filled with a long list of people who failed God but returned to Him once again. Was Judas not there when Jesus told the parable of the Prodigal Son? Judas decided to settle for being the Prodigal Son who refuse to return home. Judas feared Jesus couldn't be bothered to forgive him given the depth of his betrayal, but Peter and this woman anointing Jesus' feet got it. Romans 3:23 reminds us, "For EVERYONE has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard." On the flip side of this coin is John 3:16, "“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that EVERYONE who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." Judas only saw Romans 3:23 written on the coins he received for his betrayal of Jesus. There are 8.2 billion people in the world today, and Jesus died for every single one of them to experience new life through Him. He did that for Judas, too. He would do it all again for you alone. Let's be like this woman and Peter who knew the depth of God's forgiveness for them and responded with deep gratitude.

Dear God, this woman offered her expression of extravagant love for Jesus in response to the love and forgiveness He had offered her. Help us never settle for a last chapter like Judas wrote about his life- one of tragic hopelessness. We are Your, O God. When we stray, help us return quickly into Your arms of mercy and grace. Amen.

From a song we sing: "And failure's never final When the Father's in the room... Prodigals come home The helpless find hope Love is on the move When the Father's in the room Prison doors fling wide The dead come to life Love is on the move When the Father's in the room Miracles take place The cynical find faith And love is breaking through When the Father's in the room."