Daily Bible Study

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Day 52 Mark 14:1 After two days it was Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take Him by trickery and put Him to death. 2 They said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar of the people.” 3 In Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head. 4 There were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, “Why was this fragrant oil wasted? 5 For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they criticized her sharply. 6 Jesus said, “Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me. 7 For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always. 8 She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial. 9 Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.” 10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him to them. 11 When they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. So, he sought how he might conveniently betray Him. Who presses all your wrong buttons? Who would you like something to happen to get them out of your life? They rubbed you the wrong way from the first moment you met. You don’t want something serious to happen, you only want them out of your life. The chief priest and scribes constantly looked for a way to get rid of Jesus but couldn’t until Judas came to them to offer Him to them. Judas did so after the woman with the alabaster box anointed Jesus’ head with the fragrant oil. Those Jesus was at the table with in Simon’s home, were indignant about what she did, and criticized her, Judas among them. He played into the chief priests’ and scribes’ hands when he came to them to betray Jesus to them, making them glad. Many Christians feel the same way about people and want them gone. They will pray for the person to leave them alone. They will walk away from them when they see them coming. They will do whatever they can to get rid of the person. Those Christians don’t see the opportunity the person provides them. An opportunity to show them Christian love and be Christ to them. They only see the trouble they represent. Instead, you should look for ways to love the unlovable, be Christ to them, and remember what you were like before you accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord. Everyone has a purpose, even the woman with the alabaster box. She didn’t know she was anointing Jesus for His burial until He said so in front of all those gathered in Simon’s home. That simple act changed her life. She saw how Jesus loved and honored her when everyone else wanted to throw her into the street. Instead of being glad to see the person gone from your life, take the person under your wing and disciple them. Show them what being a Christian is about, and watch the person grow into a person loved and respected by everyone. Don’t be glad for the wrong reasons. Be glad that you brought the gospel to that person and gave them an opportunity to accept Jesus as their Savior and Lord. Let’s pray: Father, help me love the unlovable and show them Your love. Let me be a friend to them and point them to You. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. Copyright © 4 September 2023 by Valerie Routhieaux The image belongs to me.