Dave's Diary

It’s Holy Week, and we’ve taken a break from looking at “everything Jesus commanded us” to reflect on events from “Passion Week” – the final week of Jesus’ earthly life and ministry. Today’s reading is one of my favourite moments in the Gospels, and it will also be the focus of our Holy Week Services tomorrow at Walmer Methodist at 10am.

Prayer

Before you read, I invite you to pray this prayer based on Psalm 119:105

Lord, may Your Word be a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path today!
Amen.

Briefly prepare your heart in silence, and ask the Holy Spirit to awaken your awareness to the voice of God, coming to you through His Word.

Reading

Matthew 26:6-13 

I wonder what it was about this woman’s offering that made Jesus say, “She has done a beautiful thing to me.” Why was it beautiful?

I think there are a few reasons, but I’ll focus on just one.

I think it was beautiful because it came from a heart of absolutely sincere gratitude, love and affection. At some point, Jesus had touched this woman’s life in some profound way, and when she saw the opportunity to express loving gratitude, she threw herself into expressing her love with literally everything she had. That very expensive perfume most likely represented her life-savings. And she did not just sprinkle some of it on Jesus to minister a pleasing fragrance to His mealtime. She poured it all out, all over Him.

At this time of year, I often find myself reflecting on how that fragrance must have lingered on Him through all the events of His final week. That fragrance was here at the table, but it was also with Him as He realised Judas’ plan to betray Him. It was there at the Last Supper, there as He knelt to wash His disciples’ smelly feet, there as He perspired blood in Gethsemane. It was there in the high priest’s courtyard as the rooster crowed, there in Herod’s palace, as He was mocked and scorned. It was there in Pilate’s palace as the crowd bayed for His blood, and at the whipping post as His entire body was flayed to the bone. The fragrance of her love was there on the road to Calvary as He collapsed in the hot, hard gravel, and even on the Cross as the nails were driven in and as he hung for hours with the life draining from Him.

Hers was a gift of love to sustain Jesus, every heart-wrenching, painful step of the Way to the Cross and the Tomb – the Way of selfless love.

Contemplation

What gift of love will you bring to Jesus?

You may feel you have nothing to give, and yet you have the gift He wants more than any other – yourself.

I encourage you to pray this pray and mean it:

Lord Jesus, I give myself to You today – all my love and affection, and all the moments of my day. I resolve to live my life as a living sacrifice, to bring You pleasure and delight today. Amen.