Introduction: Grace be to you and peace, from God our Father, and from our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Our text for this evening is the Scripture Lesson just read, from Matthew 26. We begin with prayer.
Dear fellow disciples of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ:
- Jesus told His disciples of His impending crucifixion. It was close at hand. But it seems that His instruction was virtually ignored by these disciples. Two days away – His arrest, conviction, and crucifixion!
- In spite of this, and all the other instructions Jesus had given them about compassion, kindness, and generosity, the disciples found it reasonable to be “indignant” and critical of this anointing of Jesus with costly ointment. This is amazing, but very human.
- This is the only negative in this account – and we should take this to heart, and always consider very carefully our temptations to judge and criticize others. In so doing we may very well be criticizing things that are precious to Jesus, important to God.
- So how was it that this woman would do such a thing?
I. This Unnamed Woman Had Gratitude And Love For Jesus, And Her Faith And Love Moved Her To This Humble Sacrifice And Service To Jesus
Text: “A woman came up to Him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on His head as He reclined at table. . . . The disciple were indignant. . . . But Jesus said to them, ‘Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to Me. . . . In pouring this ointment on My body, she has done it to prepare Me for burial.’”
Statement: We don’t know if there were others present when Jesus instructed His disciples about His imminent death, but perhaps this woman overheard. There were other occasions, earlier on, that Jesus had more generally instructed people as to His fate as “the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world.” She may have heard these things on one of those occasions. It may be that she heard Jesus, or interacted with Him on some other occasion not recorded in Holy Scripture. We do know that she was aware of what Jesus was going to endure, and that it was for her huge benefit. Why else would she have done such a generous thing?
Application: We also know the blessed and precious love of Jesus, Who laid down His life in bitter suffering and death for our sins, to bring us forgiveness, cleansing, and eternal life. And such great love for us should also move us to gratitude and love for Jesus. I know that we all have other obligations – financially and time-wise; this woman likely also had a busy and difficult life. But this love that she had for Jesus, stimulated by His sacrificial love for her and for all mankind, is beautiful and precious! How sad that the disciples couldn’t see this, and so could not appreciate and admire her act. In fact, their response was rather rude and shameful.
Transition: So as we consider this humble woman who “PREPARED JESUS FOR BURIAL,” we pray that we might be moved to the same kind of sacrificial love for Jesus, and also that we be preserved from uncharitable judging and criticizing of others, for:
II. This Woman’s Act Of Love For Jesus Was Pronounced Beautiful By Jesus, And To Be Remembered Forever
Text: “She has done a beautiful thing to Me. . . . . Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”
Statement: For most of us, this would be a marvelous thing – that an act we performed might be so important, so blessed, so exemplary, that it would be remembered forever, and would be spoken of universally, throughout the world! However, the woman’s name is not mentioned – her personal identity remains undisclosed. Still, what a wondrous thing she did – and she was blessed by Jesus for it!
Application: I submit that given Jesus’ love for us, we should also seek to have such strong love for Him that we might be moved to the same kinds of actions. The character of her action was selfless, humble, sacrificial, and serving need! We can do these same things. The fact is, “we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God has foreordained that we should be walking in them.” We too, when serving the Lord, are engaged in timeless acts of kindness and love, which are remembered forever, for Jesus will name them on the Last Day [Matt. 25]. So also in the book of Revelation we read, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord . . . that they may rest from their labors, and their works do follow them.”
Conclusion: I am thankful that our Savior received this kindly act of love, a preparation for His burial. I pray that the example of this unnamed woman would inspire each of us to the same kind of love and service to Jesus – expressed in our love and service of one another! If we do good things in joyful faith in what Jesus has done for us, then Jesus will receive them as being done to Him, and will bless us also! Amen.
Votum: And the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in the true faith, which is in Christ Jesus, even unto life everlasting, Amen.