Wednesday Sees Betrayal and Devotion
Wednesday starts out with a warning from Jesus himself. The Apostle Matthew records it like this, “When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, “As you know, the Passover is two days away—and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified” (Matthew 26:1-2). Jesus also wanted to prepare His disciples and other followers so that they would not be caught totally off guard. He refers to himself in the third person, but the disciples knew he was referring to. But probably they did not comprehend the deep reality of it.
The Quiet Before the Betrayal
Jesus and His disciples had a quiet time most of the day even though across the Kidron valley, Judas Iscariot was laying his down his plan for betrayal with the elders and high priest. Matthew plays a major role in recording the happenings of Wednesday as he places Jesus in Bethany, at the home of Simon the Leper. Luke says that Simon was a Pharisee and his leprosy was finally in remission so he could be out and about with his family and friends. It is not clear but Simon could have been one of the lepers Jesus healed.
Jesus knew what Judas was doing but He continued on teaching those hungry people about what true devotion is all about when a woman came to Him with an alabaster jar of expensive perfume. She proceeded to pour the perfume on Jesus’ head as he reclined beside a table. But the disciples scolded the woman for what they saw as waste but in her eyes, it was her total devotion to this Man of Galilee.
When the disciples suggested that she, instead, should sell it and give the money to the poor. But Jesus rebuked His disciples saying that they would always have the poor with them but for Him, “you will not always have me” Jesus replied. Think about this. Here is Mary so full of thankfulness and devotion to this man who had changed her life so did a humble act of pouring expensive perfume on Jesus. On the other hand, Judas was accepting 32 pieces of silver across town to deliver Jesus to the men who wanted to kill him. What a comparison and what a lesson for Jesus disciples in this Holy Week.
Betrayal vs Devotion
We have a choice — to betray or to do an act of devotion. This is true if we are speaking of our relationship with Christ, our Savior or it could be in regard to a family member we are crossways with. The tempting path is betrayal, but the Christ-like way is to do something in the spirit of reconciliation.
Readings for Wednesday — Matthew 26:6-16; Mark 14:1-11; Luke 22:1-6; John 12:1-8)