The Gospel of Mark – Part 46

Anointing and Opportunity – Mark 14:1-11

Mosaic Rockford – Dave Spooner – Aug. 9th, 2020

Intro:

In our last chapter, Jesus predicts the destruction of the temple and answers questions from His disciples about the end of the age. This morning, we are turning to Mark 14, where we read about the plot of the priests to kill Jesus, the worship of a woman of Jesus and the betrayal of Jesus by a brother. This passage contains important keys for understanding and focusing your faith in relation to Jesus and ministry. Jesus had been teaching on the temple ground for two days. The religious leaders were furious that Jesus had “cleansed the temple,” exposed their evil and warned the people about them. They were extremely jealous of His following and popularity.  They tried to trick and trap Him, but they could not. They were determined and desperate to destroy Him.   

The plot of the priests 

Mark 14:1-2 ESV 

It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him, 2 for they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar from the people.”

Two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread (this was the celebration and recognition of God’s deliverance of the people of Israel from their slavery in Egypt) puts these events on a Tuesday night (the Last Supper was on a Thursday and the betrayal, trial and crucifixion was on a Friday). The chief priest, the guys who lead the religious leaders, and the scribes, the experts in the law, both were seeking to arrest Jesus “by stealth” and kill Him. The people who thought they were working for God were actually working against Him. The people who were considered the religious “insiders” were actually religious “outsiders” when it came to Christ and the Kingdom of God.  They were more concerned and afraid of the reaction and opinion of the people than they were the reaction and opinion of God. They were seeking to hide their actions for the eyes of men, but they could not hide their actions from the God who see everything. You can work to veil who you are to the eyes of people, but you will never do so to the eyes of God. Always put the opinion of God higher than the opinion of people.  The religious leaders had made up their mind that they were going to kill Jesus, they were just waiting for the right time and opportunity.In the meantime, we see Jesus with His disciples in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper.  And while they were there, a woman demonstrated her devotion to Jesus. 

The worship of the woman 

Mark 14:3-9 ESV

And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. 4 There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? 5 For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her. 6 But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. 8 She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. 9 And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.” 

Here you have Jesus, spending His time with “outsiders” of the religious establishment, who were in actuality “insiders” with Christ and His kingdom (they were outside of the holy city, in Bethany). There was Simon, who at one time, was a leper and more than likely healed by Jesus, and an unnamed woman, considered a “second class” citizen.When everyone in the house was together at mealtime, a woman came with an alabaster flask of oi