Mark 14:1-11

In the final three chapters of Mark he documents Jesus’ final days on earth before He was crucified on the cross. Mark 14 begins by bringing the readers to the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread. The Passover celebrated Israel’s deliverance from the death of the firstborn when they were under Egyptian bondage (Exodus 12-13). Following this plague God had sent upon the Egyptians, the Israelites were released by Pharaoh and every generation of Israel celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread as a remembrance of their escape. Both of these feasts were recognized every year thereafter and people would return to Jerusalem to be a part of reflecting on God’s goodness to the nation of Israel. Jesus and many of His followers had returned to Jerusalem to commemorate these feasts, but Mark says that the chief priests and scribes were still plotting how they could kill Jesus (14:1). They decided to wait until after the feast to pursue Jesus because there were large crowds gathered in Jerusalem and the religious leaders feared a riot (14:2).

In Mark 14:3-9 he reflects back to an incident which took place the previous Saturday. He writes that Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper (14:3). As He is sitting at a table a woman named Mary (John 12:3), who is the sister of Martha and Lazarus, breaks a flask of expensive oil pouring out its contents onto the head of Jesus. This action was a sign of her love and commitment to the Lord. Some of the disciples (John reveals Judas as the culprit) became angry that she had wasted this costly oil on Jesus because it could have been sold and the money given to the poor (14:4-5). But Jesus speaks up and says, “Let her alone…She has done a good work for me…She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial (14:6-8). Although Mary probably was not aware of the symbolism her anointing carried, her act of worship came to represent the soon death and burial of Jesus Christ.

Following on an act of worship, Mark records an act of deceit. “Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him to them. And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. So he sought how he might conveniently betray Him” (14:10-11). In essence, Judas was looking for a time when Jesus was away from the crowds so he could betray Him into the hands of the so-called religious people of Jesus’ day.

There is a very identifiable contrast between Mary and Judas. One loved Jesus with all her heart, but the other was only close with Him for what he could gain…in this case, money. Judas claimed to be a follower, but his actions demonstrated something different. How about you? Are your actions worship or betrayal?

Dear God, help me to be like Mary who loved You with all her heart and demonstrated it through her actions. Guard me from being like Judas who walked with You, but really did not know You.