Mark and Matthew both begin the narrative for this day by saying the priests and rulers were plotting the death of Jesus (Mark 14:1,2; Matthew 26:1-5). The same process with less clarity on chronology are presented in the other two gospels as well (Luke 22:1,2; John 12:9-11).
It’s interesting that both Matthew and Mark note that the leaders specified that they wouldn’t kill Jesus during the Passover celebration because it would stir up the people too badly (Matthew 26:5; Mark 14:2). A greater One than the earthly priests had determined that the day of the Passover should point forward to the sacrifice of the true Lamb, and human schemes and plans could not overrule the timing of the Almighty (Isaiah 46:9,10; 1 Corinthians 5:7; Exodus 12:40,41).
A Pharisee from Bethany named Simon, whom Jesus had healed of leprosy, threw a feast and invited Jesus and His disciples (Luke 7:36; Matthew 26:6; Mark 14:3). Lazarus, whose celebrity status was legendary for having been raised from the dead, was also an honored guest. Lazarus’s sister Martha was helping serve as hostess (John 12:1,2). Unfortunately for Simon, along with the service of Martha and the celebrity of Lazarus, he had to allow the baggage of their sister Mary, whose reputation was well-known as a dark stain on the community (Luke 7:37).
Of all the people who had heard Jesus declare that He was going to die on this trip to Jerusalem, apparently Mary was the only one who took His words seriously (Luke 18:31-34; Matthew 26:12). Sensing a chance to honor Christ while He could still sense her appreciation for His love for her, she broke open the burial spices in the midst of the feast and anointed Jesus’ head and feet with the oil (John 12:3; Mark 14:3).
As soon as the aroma filled the room, sharp condemnation was brought down on Mary. Estimating the bottle to have cost a year’s wages, and knowing the only way this woman could have possibly earned such a sum, the words cut like a knife (Mark 14:4,5).
Judas Iscariot was most vocal (John 12:4-6). Thinking in his mind how much of that money he could have taken had she donated the money to Jesus and the disciples instead of spending it all on burial spices made his blood boil.
Simon, the Pharisaical host, contemptuously thought to himself that Jesus must not be a true Prophet or He would know Mary’s history and be abhorred by her touch (Luke 7:39). And poor Mary, very likely the same broken soul who had been cast at Jesus’ feet for stoning, was probably trying to hide her shame and her tears (John 8:3-5).
How did Jesus react to each one? How does Jesus react to us today? One by one He met the needs of Mary, of Judas and of Simon, and He left their responses to His love up to them.
For Mary, He protected the downtrodden. He quieted her detractors and pointed out the love of her actions in contrast to the carelessness of everyone else present (Matthew 26:10-13). In Christ, she had finally found Someone who loved her because of what He could see she could become in His power, rather than someone who wanted to use her for selfish pleasure. In her messed up life, she had never known such love, and she was compelled by her love for Christ to do whatever she could to reciprocate. Jesus would not let such a one suffer the retribution of the hypocrites present.
For Judas, the reproof was indeed direct and immediate, but far more muted and compassionate than what Judas deserved (John 12:6). Jesus could easily have spelled out before all assembled each and every penny that Judas had stolen and exactly what Judas would have done with Mary’s money had she entrusted it to Judas’s care. But out of His love for Judas, Jesus held back from the rebuke that Judas was so deserving of.
And for Simon, who had been healed of leprosy by Christ but somehow still believed in his heart that Jesus clearly wasn’t of God if Jesus could not read the secrets of Mary’s past, Jesus proved His Divinity by reading Simon’s own mind. Telling Simon a parable and framing it as if Simon were somehow less guilty a sinner than Mary, Jesus presented before Simon the love that responds to true forgiveness and restoration (Luke 7:40-50). One has to imagine that years later when Simon related this story to Luke, Simon wanted the world to know that he too was “forgiven much.”
The Bible records that Judas did not respond to the love Christ showed him, but instead took offense for the reprimand and went to the meeting of the priests with the offer to betray Jesus into their hands away from the crowds of people (Matthew 26:14-16; Luke 22:3-6). In so doing, prophecy was fulfilled.
Then I said to them, “If it is agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain.” So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver. And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—that princely price they set on me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord for the potter. Zechariah 11:12-13 NKJV
And another:
Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me. Psalm 41:9 NKJV
Can you imagine what Zechariah must have been wondering when he wrote those words? Pay me thirty prices of silver and I’ll throw them in the temple for the potter. Huh? And yet, that’s exactly what would happen!
Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” And they said, “What is that to us? You see to it! ” Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself. But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because they are the price of blood.” And they consulted together and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in. Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. Matthew 27:3-8 NKJV
Jesus had promised that the actions of Mary would be proclaimed everywhere throughout the world that the gospel would be preached (Mark 14:9). That has come true. But the world also is aware of the actions of Judas in response to that meal as well. And his name continues in infamy.
Jesus loves each and every one of us. He gave His life for every single one. Maybe we are coming to Him as Mary, a completely broken victim both of wrong choices and a society that hates us. Maybe we see Him through the eyes of Simon, self-righteously wondering if we truly even need Jesus. Or maybe our hearts are as Judas, seeking every angle to get ahead, no matter who we step on.
The issue isn’t how we come to Him. The issue is what we allow Him to do with our hearts when we meet Him and whether we allow Him to change our futures as well as our past. We cannot come face to face with the love of Christ and walk away unchanged. Whether we walk away as Mary and Simon or if we walk away as Judas is up to us.
John’s gospel records these woeful words of Christ. Pray that our proud hearts are melted instead of baked by the love of Christ on Calvary.
Then Jesus said to them, “A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them. But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him, Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. Then Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him— the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.” John 12:35-37,42-50 NKJV