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"TO WHAT PURPOSE IS THIS WASTE"

Jesus understood because he was involved in the actions of this woman. He was the object of her act of love. He knew and understood his destiny was to lay down his life so we might be forgiven and live. Things are often easier to understand when it happens to us. Our judgment of other people’s circumstances is not as well received by them unless we have walked the same path they have. I remember when Darrell and I were in our twenties, my father was out of town and a family friend of ours was in the hospital. She had just lost her child through a premature birth. I was the associate minister at the time and when I asked Darrell to go with me to see her; he didn’t understand why I would need him. After all I could quote all the verses she would need to be comforted. He agreed to go with me and when we walked into the room we could see how very sad and depressed she was. She was a couple years younger than us and we had grown up together in church as kids. She greeted us with surprise and lightly smiled.  After a short time of saying hello I shared the truths of Gods word knowing all the time the grief of her heart was so heavy it brought little comfort. Then I said to her, "You know Darrell lost his first born son also". She had no idea he had lost a child but when I mentioned it, her whole countenance changed. She listened attentively while Darrell shared his experience and told her how the Lord had comforted him and his wife Kim through this time of sorrow. Then we shared His word with her again. They meant something to her this time because there was someone in the room who had walked through the same experience she was walking in.

"We do not see things as they are. We see them as we are." --The Talmud

The Talmud (תלמוד) is a record of rabbinic discussions of Jewish law, ethics, customs, legends, and stories, which Jewish tradition considers authoritative. It is the fundamental source for rabbinic legislation and case law.

It seems to be all to easy for us to judge the indignation of the disciples, but before you do stop and think about the times you saw things in the wrong light only later to feel sorry for what you thought and things you might have said to someone.

Ecclesiastes 7:21-23 says

21 Do not pay attention to every word people say,
       or you may hear your servant cursing you-

 22 for you know in your heart
       that many times you yourself have cursed others.

"Carefully watch your THOUGHTS, for they become your WORDS. Manage and watch your WORDS, for they will become your ACTIONS. Consider and judge your ACTIONS, for they have become your HABITS. Acknowledge and watch your HABITS, for they shall become your VALUES. Understand and embrace your VALUES, for they become YOUR DESTINY."
--Mahatma Gandhi

13 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.

This woman gave something so precious and so valuable that it caught the attention of the disciples. They judged that she had wasted something that could have been used for a better purpose. People often judge us by what they perceive we are doing. The apostle Paul had such an experience found in the book of First Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 4

 1Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.

 2Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

 3But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.

 4For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.

How do you want to be memorialized (judged) and by whom.

A friend of mine reminded me that the vial of perfume Mary poured on Jesus head was not just a loving gesture. It was an EXTRAVAGANT gesture, something irreplaceable. Had to be ‘broken’ to be used, a one time only give-it-all-you’ve-got gesture. We save things for when we really think we will need them, the best china, the finest clothes, the best food and usually that time never comes. Such wisdom, such love to RECOGNIZE she was in THAT MOMENT and to choose to love the best she could in the wildest, most flamboyant and exuberant way she knew how. I’m sure she never ever regretted it. My friend said, "I am one of those people who would hoard until that ‘special moment’ that never comes."