Holy Week Devotional: Jesus Anointed, His Betrayal Arranged

SCRIPTURE:  MARK 14:3-11

Have you ever said or done something that was driven by ulterior motives or ignorance?  Jesus surrounded himself with people who made these choices, imperfect like us.  He patiently endures and expects our shortcomings.  And like a shepherd, He gently corrects in a way that directs the focus of the problem from the behavior to the heart.

The exchange in this passage was just one of those teachable moments. The fact that Jesus promises this story will be told wherever the gospel is proclaimed illustrates to us that the only heart that can respond to God is the one He has changed.  Only the heart of a person transformed by the Holy Spirit is worthy to bring honor to Jesus.

We would be wise not to discern our heart’s motives through actions only (after all, Judas Iscariot was hardly excluded from Jesus’ ministry). The overflow of an unrepentant, hardened heart is self-interest.  God promises to change any heart that receives his grace through faith in Christ. The heart changed by the gospel will hold nothing back, no matter how foolish it appears from another’s perspective or how costly.

 Focus:

Father, we come before You in the name of Jesus.  Thank You for the gospel.  Thank You for sending Christ to die in our place that we might be made new.  Grow our hearts in spiritual maturity.  Remove any self-interest so we can serve You as You have designed.  Make our life’s ambition be for the joy and benefit of other’s progress in the faith.  Make our lives worthy of Jesus.  Amen.