Wednesday of Holy Week
Sometimes known as "Spy Wednesday," today we continue walking with Jesus in this final week of His earthly life. The day before, on Tuesday, Jesus came to the temple in Jerusalem for the last time, and He would spend His time all that day teaching. Oh that they, that we, would listen to and heed His words. Tragically, the pharisees and temple leaders rejected everything He said--every word of wisdom and life that He shared--and instead fixated only on how they would ensnare and kill Him. Tuesday was a day filled with many words and with the hatred and anger of those adamantly determined to destroy Jesus.
On this Wednesday before His death, however, life is quiet and calm for Jesus as He is in Bethany at the home of His dear friend, Simon the Leper. While Jesus is there, reclining at a table, Mary of Bethany (the sister of Lazarus) approaches Jesus with an extraordinarily expensive flask of perfume. She breaks this valuable flask and pours it's ointment on Jesus' head and feet. Mary loves Jesus, and she's trying, in the most extravagant way she knows how, to worship Him, to demonstrate her great love for Him, to comfort Him. So she takes by far the most valuable treasure she owns and she literally pours it all over Jesus. (Mark 14:3)
Yet what contrasting responses we see to this lavish act of worship and love. Some of the disciples indignantly and harshly demand, "'Why was the ointment wasted like that? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.' And they scolded her."
Worship of Jesus a "waste?" Really? Is that how we sometimes view worship and praise of the King of Kings who gave His life for us? How could that ever possibly be a waste?
Jesus, on the other hand, rebukes His disciples, "Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to Me. For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have Me. She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for burial. And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.'" (Mark 14:6-9)
Jesus prepares to bear upon Himself the unimaginable weight of all the sin of all the world for all time, and Mary "has done what she could" to love and worship and adore Him.
How about us? In the midst of all that is going on in the world right now, have we spent time daily loving and worshipping the One who died to give us life? The One who is with us and for us and will never ever leave or forsake us? Just today, what priorities have we allowed to take precedence over spending at least some time at the feet of Jesus worshipping Him? The world will never "give" us time to do it. We must make time. We must choose to lavishly spend that most valuable of all our resources--our time--worshipping and loving our Savior.
But there is another sad, significant event that occurred on this day--and that's where the name this day is sometimes referred to by--Spy Wednesday--derives. Tragically, on this Wednesday, after seeing Mary's act of "wasteful" worship, Judas goes to the chief priests to betray Jesus. When Judas makes his offer, we're told that the chief priests "were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to betray him." (Mark 14:11)
What chilling words--"they were glad." They were glad to plot the betrayal and execution of the Messiah--their Messiah. The One who would die for their sins, their schemes, their hatred. To be glad of such sin, such ugliness, such hideous hate. To think Judas would forsake the love, the comfort, the companionship, the peace, the joy of being with Jesus and the other disciples and go to such a den of animosity, manipulation, lies and hostility. And they were glad.
What a stark contrast between Mary's act of worship and Judas' act of betrayal. One would bear beautiful fruit for all of eternity; the other would result in tragic destruction and desolation forever.
And yet, Jesus died for Judas just as much as for Mary. He died for those plotting pharisees just as much as for the disciples. And He died for the very best of us just as much as the very worst of us. Because every single one of us is a sinner in need of forgiveness and grace.
On this Wednesday of Holy Week, might we simply fall at Jesus' feet and worship Him extravagantly. Love Him deeply. Trust Him expectantly. Confess to Him freely. Pray to Him boldly. And know that even as we grieve during these hard, dark days, Resurrection is coming. It is coming and will not be stopped...because Jesus cannot be defeated.
To God be the glory.
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