A Lovely Thing Done Before the Darkness
Daily Scripture
Matthew 26:1-16
1 When Jesus finished speaking all these words, he said to his disciples, 2 “You know that the Passover is two days from now. And the Human One [or Son of Man] will be handed over to be crucified.”
3 Then the chief priests and elders of the people gathered in the courtyard of Caiaphas the high priest. 4 They were plotting to arrest Jesus by cunning tricks and to kill him. 5 But they agreed that it shouldn’t happen during the feast so there wouldn’t be an uproar among the people.
6 When Jesus was at Bethany visiting the house of Simon, who had a skin disease, 7 a woman came to him with a vase made of alabaster containing very expensive perfume. She poured it on Jesus’ head while he was sitting at dinner. 8 Now when the disciples saw it they were angry and said, “Why this waste? 9 This perfume could have been sold for a lot of money and given to the poor.”
10 But Jesus knew what they were thinking. He said, “Why do you make trouble for the woman? She’s done a good thing for me. 11 You always have the poor with you, but you won’t always have me. 12 By pouring this perfume over my body she’s prepared me to be buried. 13 I tell you the truth that wherever in the whole world this good news is announced, what she’s done will also be told in memory of her.”
14 Then one of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What will you give me if I turn Jesus over to you?” They paid him thirty pieces of silver. 16 From that time on he was looking for an opportunity to turn him in.
Daily Reflection & Prayer
We’re excited to share new music from the COR Worship Collective. “Abide in Me” is the first of seven videos we’ll release in the weeks ahead. It’s a song of praise for all God has done and continues to do, and a prayer to be filled with the Holy Spirit—so that we might go out and change the world for God’s glory.
DID YOU KNOW?
Mark 14:3-9 and John 12:1-7 told versions of the story in verses 6-12, and Luke 7:36-50 told a very similar one in a different setting. Bible scholars debate whether these accounts describe the same event or separate occasions. Scholar William Barclay captured the uncertainty: “It must always remain a most interesting question whether the story Luke told is, in fact, the same story as is told by Matthew and Mark and John.” Whatever the answer, he added, “the story is indeed what Jesus called it—the story of a lovely thing.” *
Matthew packed so much about Holy Wednesday into these 16 verses. Jesus again warned the disciples about what lay just ahead. The chief priests and elders went on plotting. A grateful woman (maybe Mary, sister of Lazarus and Martha—see John 12:3) poured very expensive perfume on Jesus, triggering grumbling by the disciples that Jesus quelled by saying, “She’s prepared me to be buried.” The day ended with Judas Iscariot, “one of the Twelve,” asking the plotting chief priests, “What will you give me if I turn Jesus over to you?” Scholar N. T. Wright reminded us that “when Jesus said ‘one of you will betray me’, the other eleven disciples didn’t at once turn round and point knowingly at Judas…. As far as the other eleven knew, he was one of them, sharing their common life, a trusted and valued friend and comrade.” ** “Why did Judas do it?” It’s unanswerable, despite many guesses. Wright said evil seldom announces itself clearly—it is “ultimately absurd. That’s part of its danger and darkness.” *** That unholy betrayal closes our study of Holy Wednesday.
- Matthew stressed the woman’s almost absurd act of pouring “very expensive” perfume on Jesus’ head. Even his disciples grumbled that it was wasteful. What do you think moved the woman to offer Jesus this profuse gift showing deep love and gratitude? Scholar Dorothy Sayers said Jesus was “a prophet and teacher who never nagged at [women]; never flattered or coaxed or patronized.” **** Against his culture’s grain, he treated women as valuable people worth respect. What does Jesus’ response show about how much her fervent love meant as he faced death?
- In contrast to the woman, Judas may have betrayed Jesus (his teacher, mentor, friend and Lord) because he saw that Jesus was not going to be a dominant military Messiah. Perhaps he hoped his betrayal would force Jesus’ hand. Or he may have had no larger reason than sheer greed. We do not know. “The figure of Judas is one of the deepest and darkest not only in the gospels but in all literature.” ***** Has someone you loved and trusted ever betrayed you? If so, invite Jesus into your deepest being today to heal the wounds betrayal left. He knows exactly how it feels.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, sometimes I’m like the pardoned woman, pouring out thanks for your mercy and love. Now and again, I’m tempted to be like Judas, bitter and let down because you haven’t done what I wanted. Forgive me and keep me grateful. Amen.
GPS Insights
Cathy Bien
Cathy Bien, who serves as the Lead Director of PR, Media and Communications Resurrection, wrote today's Insights. She and her husband Rick have been members of the church since 1993 and have four adult children and five grandchildren.
Jesus Knows Our Hearts
Today’s scripture reading is certainly one of contrasts – the unnamed woman who lovingly anointed Jesus with expensive perfume and the disciple who betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. Both play key roles in the events of Jesus’ final days leading up to his crucifixion and resurrection. While they seem different on the surface, as I thought about it this week, there seemed to be another important message from Jesus – both for his disciples that night, as well as for us today: Only Jesus truly knows our hearts.
The disciples saw the woman as someone who was interrupting them, drawing attention to herself, and wasting expensive perfume. In their minds, if Jesus were to be anointed, it should be by a prophet or high priest. They would never have considered that an insignificant woman, would be the one to anoint him.
Yet, Jesus knew the woman’s heart. He didn’t see “just a woman” of no worth, or someone who didn’t care about others and wasted valuable resources. Jesus saw someone who understood who he was, was grateful for his mercy and love, and came to worship him. He saw a woman who was lovingly preparing him for what was ahead, and he recognized her faith and love.
Similarly, only Jesus truly knew the hearts of his disciples. The others didn’t point fingers or accuse Judas, even when Jesus said one of the twelve would betray him. There are many theories about why Judas betrayed Jesus, but the point is that although he was loved and trusted by Jesus and the other disciples, only Jesus knew what was in his heart.
How often as humans do we, like the disciples, think that we know what is in someone’s heart? We may see an action and make assumptions without knowing the motivation behind the action. We’re quick to react from our own bias and make judgments. In the same manner, we can be deceived by someone who seems to say and do the right things.
The message of Lent as we prepare for Easter is that Jesus knows our hearts – the good, the bad and the ugly – still he loves us, gives us grace and offers forgiveness if we repent, follow him, and strive to love one another.
My prayer this week is from Psalm 51:10: Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
© 2026 Resurrection: A United Methodist Church. All Rights Reserved.
Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
References
* William Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew—Volume 2 Chapters 11–28 (Revised Edition). Westminster John Knox Press, 1976, p. 329.
** Wright, N. T., Matthew for Everyone, Part 2: Chapters 16-28 (The New Testament for Everyone) (p. 150). Westminster John Knox Press. Kindle Edition.
*** Ibid., p. 151.
**** Here is Sayers’ full quote: Jesus was “a prophet and teacher who never nagged at [women]; never flattered or coaxed or patronized… who rebuked without [demeaning] and praised without condescension; who took their questions and arguments seriously; who never mapped out their sphere for them, never urged them to be feminine or jeered at them… who had no axe to grind and no uneasy male dignity to defend.” From Dorothy Sayers, Are Women Human? Penetrating, Sensible, and Witty Essays on the Role of Women in Society. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2005, p. 68.
***** Wright, N. T., Matthew for Everyone, Part 2: Chapters 16-28 (The New Testament for Everyone) (p. 149). Westminster John Knox Press. Kindle Edition.
