Eight Days That Changed The World

Exit the door on the speaker’s Left

Transition music

Enter the door on the speaker’s Right - (Quint) Vial of colored

water & bag of coins

Day Four: Two Hearts

Day Marker on screen: Wednesday…Day Four

After Jesus silenced his critics in the temple, he left Jerusalem to enjoy supper at Simon the leper’s home in Bethany. Lazarus, the man Jesus had raised from the dead just a week earlier was invited, along with his two sisters, Mary and Martha. Martha was an exceptional host and helped served the evening meal. But Mary appeared at the table, not holding a plate of food, but a 12 ounce flask of expensive perfume, valued at a year’s wages, roughly $40,000.00 in today’s currency. Jesus was reclining at the table, resting on his left hand and eating with his right… his feet angling away from the table. Mary approached Jesus with the oil, broke its seal and poured some of its contents on his head and anointed Christ’s feet with the rest of it.

Mary’s gesture shocked everyone; it was an amazing display of devotion. This was an extravagant gift, one normally reserved only for kings. Most would have been amazed at an ounce of such perfume poured over Christ’s head and an ounce on his feet, but the whole flask, $40,000.00 of perfumed oil poured out as a gift to Jesus. Even Christ’s disciples raised their eyebrows and whispered their concerns. But it was Judas who spoke up and suggested that Mary’s gift was misdirected. He was the treasurer for Jesus and his men and he regularly lined his pockets by stealing from the gifts given to Jesus. None of the disciples had a clue what Judas was doing, but Jesus knew that Judas had a thief’s heart. When Judas saw $40,000.00 being poured out on Jesus, he immediately took issue with the extravagance of the gift. He suggested that the money might better been given to him so he could give it to the poor. But he cared nothing for the poor, he saw dollar signs and began to imagine what he could do with a skim off from that prize! Jesus immediately confronted Judas… and said

Leave her alone. It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me. John 12:7-8

Anointing Song

When ever you find Mary of Bethany she is always at Jesus feet… being taught …asking a question… worshipping him with a gift. She is always in a posture of devotion. And there at Jesus’ feet she heard and believed what others refused to hear. Jesus was going to die, he was going to be buried and he was going to raise the third day. Mary understood that she would never have an opportunity to anoint the lifeless body of Jesus, so she decided to anoint him before his death. She anointed him in life because she believed he would be resurrected before she could ever make her way to him in death. The disciples heard Jesus predict his death, but refused to believe it because they were busy arguing over who would sit on Christ’s right and left side in his kingdom. Judas heard Christ predict his death but it never registered with him because he was busy scamming his savior to build his own kingdom. But Mary saw and believed what those closest to him missed because Mary spent time at Jesus’ feet. For that Jesus said…