Scripture Reading:

Mark 14:1-9

Key Verse:

Then He came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough! The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.” (Mark 14:41-42)

What does this passage teach us?

This chapter begins that part of Mark’s Gospel, which describes our Lord’s sufferings and death. So far, we have chiefly seen our Savior as our prophet and teacher. We have now to see Him as our High Priest. So far, we have had to consider His miracles and sayings. We have now to consider His vicarious sacrifice on the cross.

Let us first observe in these verses, how God can disappoint the designs of wicked men, and over-rule them to His own glory.
It is plain from Mark’s words, and the parallel passage in Matthew, that our Lord’s enemies did not intend to make His death a public transaction. They “sought how they might take Him by trickery.” They said, “not during the feast, lest there be an uproar of the people.” In short, it would appear that their original plan was to do nothing until the feast of the Passover was over, and the Passover-worshipers had returned to their own homes.

The overruling providence of God completely defeated this political design. The betrayal of our Lord took place at an earlier time than the chief priests had expected. The death of our Lord took place on the very day when Jerusalem was most full of people, and the Passover feast was at its height. In every way the counsel of these wicked men was turned to foolishness. They thought they were going to put an end forever to Christ’s spiritual kingdom; and in reality they were helping to establish it. They thought to have made Him vile and contemptible by the crucifixion; and in reality they made Him glorious. They thought to have put Him to death secretly and without observation; and instead, they were compelled to crucify Him publicly, and before the whole nation of the Jews. They thought to have silenced His disciples, and stopped their teaching—and instead, they supplied them with a text and a subject for evermore. So easy is it for God to cause the wrath of man to praise Him (Ps. 76:10).

There is comfort in all this for true Christians. They live in a troubled world and are often tossed to and fro by anxiety about public events. Let them rest themselves in the thought that everything is ordered for good by an all-wise God. Let them not doubt that all things in the world around them, are working together for their Father’s glory. Let them call to mind the words of the second Psalm—“The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take council together against the Lord” (Ps. 2:2). And yet it goes on, “He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall hold them in derision” (Ps. 2:4). It has been so in time past. It will be so in time to come.

Let us observe, secondly, in these verses, how good works are sometimes undervalued and misunderstood. We are told of the good work of a certain woman, in pouring ointment on our Lord’s head, in a house at Bethany. She did it, no doubt, as a mark of honor and respect, and in token of her own gratitude and love towards Him. Yet this act of hers was blamed by some. Their cold hearts could not understand such costly liberality. They called it “waste.” They were “indignant among themselves.” They “criticized her sharply.”

The spirit of these narrow-minded faultfinders is unhappily only too common. Their followers and successors are to be found in every part of Christ’s visible church. There is never lacking a generation of people who depreciate what they call “extremes” in religion and are incessantly recommending what they term “moderation” in the service of Christ. If a man devotes his time, money, and affections to the pursuit of worldly things, they do not blame him. If he gives himself up to the service of money, pleasure, or politics, they find no fault. But if the same man devotes himself, and all he has, to Christ, they can scarcely find words to express their sense of his folly. “He is beside himself.” “He is out of his mind.” “He is a fanatic.” “He is an enthusiast.” “He is an extreme man.” In short, they regard it as “waste.”

Let charges like these not disturb us, if we hear them made against us because we strive to serve Christ. Let us bear them patiently and remember that they are as old as Christianity itself. Let us pity those who make such charges against believers. They show plainly that they have no sense of obligation to Christ. A cold heart makes a slow hand. If a man once understands the sinfulness of sin, and the mercy of Christ in dying for him, he will never think anything too good or too costly to give to Christ. He will rather feel, “what shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits to me?” (Ps. 116:12). He will fear wasting time, talents, money, affections on the things of this world. He will not be afraid of lavishing them on his Savior. He will fear going into extremes about business, money, politics, or pleasure; but he will not be afraid of doing too much for Christ.

Let us observe, in the last place, how highly our Lord Jesus Christ esteems any service done to Himself. Nowhere, perhaps, in the Gospels, do we find such strong praises bestowed on any person, as this woman here receives. Three points, in particular, stand out prominently in our Lord’s words, to which many who now ridicule and blame others for their religion’s sake, would do well to take heed.
For one thing, our Lord says, “Why do you trouble her?” A heart-searching question that, and one which all who persecute others because of their religion would find it hard to answer! What cause can they show? What reason can they assign for their conduct? None! none at all. They trouble others out of envy, malice, ignorance, and dislike of the true Gospel.

For another thing, our Lord says, “She has done a good work for Me.” How great and marvelous is that praise, from the lips of the King of kings! Money is often given to the church or bestowed on charitable institutions, from ostentation, or other false motives. But it is the person who loves and honors Jesus Himself, who really “does good works.”

For another thing, our Lord says, “She has done what she could.” No stronger word of commendation than that could possibly have been used. Thousands live and die without grace, and are lost eternally, who are always saying, “I try all I can. I do all I can.” And yet in saying so, they tell as great a lie as Ananias and Sapphira. Few, it may be feared, are to be found like this woman, and really deserve to have it said of them, that they “do what they can.”

Let us leave the passage with practical self-application. Let us, like this holy woman, whose conduct we have just heard described, devote ourselves, and all we have, to Christ’s glory. Our position in the world may be lowly, and our means of usefulness few. But let us, like her, “do what we can.”

Finally, let us see in this passage, a sweet foretaste of things yet to come in the day of judgment. Let us believe that the same Jesus who here pleaded the cause of His loving servant, when she was blamed, will one day plead for all who have been His servants in this world. Let us work on, remembering that His eye is upon us, and that all we do is noted in His book. Let us not heed what men say or think of us, because of our religion. The praise of Christ at the last day, will more than compensate for all we suffer in this world from unkind tongues.

Questions:

1. What are the themes of chapters 1-14?
2. How did God frustrate the plans of those who delivered Jesus to be killed?
3. How did this woman show her love and honor for Christ?

Family Application Questions:

1. Are you willing to take your time, talents, and material resources and lay them at the feet of Jesus? Do you love the Lord Jesus such that you would show the same love that this woman showed?
2. Even if others do not notice the good we do, and our works are forgotten, what encouragement can we take from this passage? Read Hebrews 6:10 and discuss.