A Question From Lindsey Re: Matt.26

My niece, Lindsey, sent the following post to me on Facebook.  I am re-posting her question and my answer here, with her permission….

Hey Uncle Dan! I have a question for you. I have been reading the Easter story from the different books in the gospel this week to reflect deeper than I have in the past. Something that stuck out to me more this year than ever before was Matthew 26 where Jesus was annointed at Bethany by the "unknown woman." What are your thoughts about this interaction? I've read a few commentaries and have become more intrigued daily. More specifically, Jesus' comment about the poor always being with us, but him not being on earth much longer caught my "special attention." =0) I want to know the significance of this interaction because it was so important to Jesus. You don't have to get back with me right away. But I am looking forward to your thoughts as I continue to study this. Love you! =0)

[The passage Lindsey refers to can be found here:  Matthew 26:6-13.]

Here was my response (which I am re-posting after getting written permission from myself)….

Lindsey,

Thanks for requesting my opinion, it feels nice to be asked.  It’s an interesting passage and here are a few thoughts.  [You may need a couple of minutes to read this, my answer turned out to be a little longer than I expected.  …..Sorry.]

What is most striking to me about the passage is the woman, herself, and what she does.  Her love for Jesus could almost be described as “reckless”.  She, apparently, does not consider other ways that the expensive perfume, or the proceeds from the expensive perfume, could be utilized.  She just launches into this extravagant action.  And it seems, her motivation is a genuine love for Jesus.  Again, I think it might be fair to call it a reckless love. 

But perhaps the lesson we might learn from her is that when it comes to loving God it might be possible to be too constrained and analytical.

The disciples almost seemed to be looking for a cost/benefit analysis of her actions.  She didn’t approach the matter that way.  She just acted on her love of Jesus and He said that she did the right thing.

Alright, that was one thought, now, here’s a more spiritual take on it.  I don’t know if this is right, or not, this is just my “Oh-Boy-Dan’s-Getting-All-Spiritual-Again” thought about the passage.  So feel free to take this with a grain of salt.

I think there’s a good possibility that the woman was prompted by God’s Holy Spirit—along with her motivation of love for Jesus—to do what she did.  In other words, thoughtful analysis had nothing to do with it, she was simply being obedient to a leading from God.  We believe God does that kind of stuff, right?

And I think, it’s POSSIBLE, that as soon as the disciples saw what she did, they realized that that’s what they should have done but they ignored the leading of the Spirit.  So, what happens?  They’re embarrassed.  They could tell she did the right thing—the thing they should have done—and they’re standing there looking like they’ve missed the boat.  So, instead of commending her for doing a beautiful thing, they start criticizing her actions.

Lesson:  Anytime anyone takes ANY action, it can be criticized by the people who aren’t doing anything.  Any action can always be second-guessed and criticized after it occurs…again, this is true of ANY ACTION.  The longer you serve in leadership, the more you will discover the truth of this.

The disciples weren’t that concerned about the poor.  And we know for a fact that Judas wasn’t very concerned about the poor.  He was Jesus’ treasurer and he was ripping off the funds for his own use.  Their self-righteous talk about the poor was just an effective way for them to criticize this woman’s loving, obedient, action toward Jesus.  (Again, an action that probably embarrassed them.)

When Jesus talks about always having the poor among you, he was not objecting to helping the poor or suggesting that it was a bad idea to help the poor.  We know from his other teachings that he strongly encouraged helping the poor.  That message made up a significant aspect of his teaching.  He was simply making the point that this was a very specific instance in which this woman did something important, necessary and meaningful.  She probably didn’t realize when she initiated this action that it would be a part of Jesus’ preparation for burial.  Again, this suggests the Holy Spirit’s involvement in all of this.

Taking care of the poor is a good and important thing and God wants us to do it.  However, in all of human history God’s son only comes to earth and dies ONE TIME.  It is, arguably, including the resurrection, the single most important event of all time.  She knowingly-or-unknowingly played a role in preparing his body for burial.  What she did was an act of monumental significance.

Jesus’ point was this, if you’ll allow me a very rough paraphrase:  [To disciples]  “Hey fellas, shut up with your fake concern about the poor, this woman has done exactly what the Holy Spirit prompted her to do.  She has done the right thing.  And her act will never, ever be forgotten.”

And just think about it, here you and I are in the Easter season of the year 2010, in some obscure little Facebook postings, still discussing it.  Pretty cool, huh?

Thanks again for asking.  Hope things are well.  Hope you have a WONDERFUL Easter.

I love you,

Uncle Dan