Matthew 26:1-35
26 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, that He said to His disciples, 2 “You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.”
3 Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, 4 and plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him. 5 But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.”
6 And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, 7 a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table. 8 But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? 9 For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor.”
10 But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me. 11 For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always. 12 For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial. 13 Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”
14 Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?” And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. 16 So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him.
17 Now on the first day of the Feast of the Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?”
18 And He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.” ’ ”
19 So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.
20 When evening had come, He sat down with the twelve. 21 Now as they were eating, He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.”
22 And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, “Lord, is it I?”
23 He answered and said, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me. 24 The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.”
25 Then Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, “Rabbi, is it I?”
He said to him, “You have said it.”
26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”
27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. 29 But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”
30 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
31 Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written:
‘I will strike the Shepherd,
And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’
32 But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.”
33 Peter answered and said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.”
34 Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”
35 Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!”
And so said all the disciples.
The woman who anointed Jesus’ head with this costly perfume valued Jesus very highly. John 12:5 informs us this perfume was worth three hundred denarii. If a denarius is a day’s wage, then this perfume was worth nearly a year’s wages. Yet this woman pours it on Jesus’ head out of love and devotion to Him. She believed His Word that He would die, so she wanted to anoint him for his burial.
Judas, on the other hand, despises Jesus. Again, it is John who tells us that it was Judas who pointed out that this perfume could have been sold and the money given to help the poor. He indicts not only the woman but Jesus, who accepted the woman’s costly worship. Jesus corrects Judas and those who agreed with Him. She did a good work for Him in preparing Him for burial. Judas then goes to the chief priests and agrees to hand Jesus over to them in exchange for thirty pieces of silver, the price paid as a penalty if one’s ox accidentally killed a slave in Exodus 21:32. Judas tried to serve two masters, God and money, and it happened just as Jesus had said in Matthew 6:24. Judas hated Christ and His teaching—that is, he despised and thought little of Jesus—while he was loyal to His true master: money. By letting greed rule in his heart, he cast out his faith in Christ. Then he willfully betrayed him.
The amounts of money aren’t important. What seems like a little to one may seem like a lot to another. What is important is how the woman and Judas thought of money. The woman used money to worship Christ while she had the opportunity. Money was her servant. Judas set his heart on riches, no matter the amount, thinking that more money equals more security.
St. Paul teaches us in 1 Corinthians 7:30-31 that we are to use this world as not misusing it. Setting our hearts on money is one way we misuse of what God gives. This is the path of Judas. Using what God has given for the worship of Christ and for the sake of others, however, is a good work of the heart that finds its security in Christ and His promises.
Let us pray: Keep us from misusing the good things of this world, O Lord, so that we may set our hearts on You, trusting in Your promises and helping others as we are able. Amen.
