(Mark 14:1-72)

On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Jesus sent two of his disciples to go ahead to Jerusalem to look for the house where they would observe the Passover. During the Last Supper Jesus predicted his betrayal by one of his defecting disciples and his denial by all his disheartened disciples. While all denied the betrayal, can you imagine the face of Judas Iscariot when he said, “Surely not I?” Before dinner, he already committed to the chief priests that Jesus would be handed over to them. After Jesus was arrested, all the remaining disciples were nowhere to be found. Peter even emphatically denied him three times; when a few hours earlier he insisted together with all the disciples, “Even if all fall away, I will not… Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.”

The disciples didn’t seem to know the words they uttered. They couldn’t even pray with the Master for an hour! When Jesus went to Gethsemane to plead with the Father to “take this cup” from him, three times his three disciples fell asleep until the betrayer planted the kiss of death on Jesus’ cheek. Jesus was arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin. Then all disciples deserted him in the dark of the night.

The disciples missed the priority of being a follower of Jesus Christ. They focused on their own interest rather than the interest of the Master. Days before their journey up to Jerusalem, three times Jesus predicted that he would suffer, be rejected, killed, and after three days rise again (8:31; 9:31; 10:33-34). The disciples responded with personal concerns and arguments on who would be the greatest among them. Later on when an unidentified woman interrupted their “men’s fellowship” in Bethany, the disciples became indignant and rebuked her harshly for pouring out a very expensive perfume to anoint Jesus. From their perspective, she wasted an enormous amount of money which could have been used to help the poor. The disciples couldn’t seem to get their priorities right! When our life is focused on self-centeredness, we fail to make Jesus the center of our life. We even think that service is a sufficient substitute for submission. 

Jesus rebuked them and commended the woman. “Leave her alone… She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want… I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

The woman served as a stark contrast to the disciples. Being a woman, she was part of the lower strata of society and needed enough courage to interrupt the men. It was also improbable for her to have a decent work with a capability to save and buy a perfume worth a year’s wages. Most likely, it was a very dear personal possession acquired through inheritance or as a gift. Yet she was willing to break and let go of this personal treasure for the sake of Jesus.  Being unnamed (although the Gospel of John identified her as Mary, sister of Martha and Lazarus), the emphasis of the story was on the beautiful thing that had done rather than the doer—totally opposite to what the disciples desired!

Sometimes we are like the disciples who deny, desert, and defect from Jesus when we are disheartened. How many times have we said, “Surely not I!” only to be disclaimed by our actions. Jesus wants us to surrender everything to him “even if all fall away.”  

“Lord, even if all fall away grant me the courage to stand firm in my faith for the sake of Your name. Help me to let go even of my dearest possessions to be right with You. And let me do good things, not to heap praises of men, but as my humble act to honor You.”