Why This Waste?
In Matthew 26, something of great significance happened. It reads, “A woman who had an alabaster jar filled with very expensive perfume approached Yeshua while he was eating and began pouring it on his head.”
The disciples saw it and they were indignant. They said among themselves, “Why this waste? This could have been sold for a lot of money and given to the poor.”
Why this waste?
The disciples saw it and they were indignant. They said among themselves, “Why this waste? This could have been sold for a lot of money and given to the poor.”
Why this waste?
Why did the disciples think that someone’s else’s use of the perfume on the head of Jesus was a waste?
Well, Jesus understood what they meant by their question and He first dealt with their questioning of her intentions. He said, “Why do you embarrass the woman? She had done a good deed to me...”
Then he spoke to the part where they were thinking about the value/expense of the perfume.
“...for you always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”
Then he spoke to why it was OK for this woman to “waste” the expensive perfume on Him. “For in putting this perfume on my body she has done it to prepare me for my burial.”
How often we view the thing that holds value or expensive as something that needs to be used to be more productive to generate more money, or to be useful to mankind. I love how Jesus first pointed out the kindness of this woman and saw her motives with Kingdom value. Tremendous Kingdom value. He didn’t belittle her or make her feel small (unlike the disciples). Jesus had taught His disciples “Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God.”
First of all, when you are working out being pure in heart (and Jesus was completely pure in heart), you will see the kingdom motives in others. You will see the kindness of others and not bite at the hands that feed you. And it takes time to rethink everything because in the world and in ourselves, we find so much impurity.
Second, there are so many underlying things deep within our own selves that causes us to see things as “wasteful” because of impure motives. There may be underlying jealousies or forms of greed. They can lay hidden in the deep recesses, and Jesus spoke to the importance of the importance of the Kingdom of heaven. The costly perfume was not theirs for the taking, nor were their ideas as to how it could be sold or who could use it.
Third, Jesus gave them a viewpoint so much higher than the one they naturally saw here with their natural mind. He told them why it was a good thing that this woman did for Him. It was in preparation for His burial.
Jesus solemnly concluded with these amazing words of tribute:
“I solemnly say to you, all over the world wherever this good news is proclaimed, the good deed that she has done will be told, in memory of her.”
Truly what we often see with our natural mind is in complete opposition to the true spiritual nature and value in the Kingdom of heaven.
We often view spending time with God reading and enjoying Him, praying and soaking in the beauty of His Presence as wasteful. Time is a most precious commodity. Spending it on God, pouring it out on His head, costing us a sacrifice, is considered a less useful enterprise than doing good public works for Him. To “waste” time on Him isn’t always viewed highly. But we do know, over the past centuries, of those who have given themselves to God in prayer, devoting their lives to Him and their lives have changed the course of history much like the woman with her alabaster jar of very costly perfume. Jesus pointed her out and said that wherever the good news of His Kingdom is proclaimed, that this good deed of hers should be told in memory of her.
One thing God doesn’t desire us to waste our time on is this:
“Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord Yeshua the Messiah; and don’t waste your time thinking about how to provide for the sinful desires of your old nature.”
Romans 13:14
Well, Jesus understood what they meant by their question and He first dealt with their questioning of her intentions. He said, “Why do you embarrass the woman? She had done a good deed to me...”
Then he spoke to the part where they were thinking about the value/expense of the perfume.
“...for you always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”
Then he spoke to why it was OK for this woman to “waste” the expensive perfume on Him. “For in putting this perfume on my body she has done it to prepare me for my burial.”
How often we view the thing that holds value or expensive as something that needs to be used to be more productive to generate more money, or to be useful to mankind. I love how Jesus first pointed out the kindness of this woman and saw her motives with Kingdom value. Tremendous Kingdom value. He didn’t belittle her or make her feel small (unlike the disciples). Jesus had taught His disciples “Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God.”
First of all, when you are working out being pure in heart (and Jesus was completely pure in heart), you will see the kingdom motives in others. You will see the kindness of others and not bite at the hands that feed you. And it takes time to rethink everything because in the world and in ourselves, we find so much impurity.
Second, there are so many underlying things deep within our own selves that causes us to see things as “wasteful” because of impure motives. There may be underlying jealousies or forms of greed. They can lay hidden in the deep recesses, and Jesus spoke to the importance of the importance of the Kingdom of heaven. The costly perfume was not theirs for the taking, nor were their ideas as to how it could be sold or who could use it.
Third, Jesus gave them a viewpoint so much higher than the one they naturally saw here with their natural mind. He told them why it was a good thing that this woman did for Him. It was in preparation for His burial.
Jesus solemnly concluded with these amazing words of tribute:
“I solemnly say to you, all over the world wherever this good news is proclaimed, the good deed that she has done will be told, in memory of her.”
Truly what we often see with our natural mind is in complete opposition to the true spiritual nature and value in the Kingdom of heaven.
We often view spending time with God reading and enjoying Him, praying and soaking in the beauty of His Presence as wasteful. Time is a most precious commodity. Spending it on God, pouring it out on His head, costing us a sacrifice, is considered a less useful enterprise than doing good public works for Him. To “waste” time on Him isn’t always viewed highly. But we do know, over the past centuries, of those who have given themselves to God in prayer, devoting their lives to Him and their lives have changed the course of history much like the woman with her alabaster jar of very costly perfume. Jesus pointed her out and said that wherever the good news of His Kingdom is proclaimed, that this good deed of hers should be told in memory of her.
One thing God doesn’t desire us to waste our time on is this:
“Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord Yeshua the Messiah; and don’t waste your time thinking about how to provide for the sinful desires of your old nature.”
Romans 13:14
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