Psalm 146, 147; Deut. 4:1-9; 2 Tim. 4:1-8; John 12:1-8
Moses warns the Israelites to keep the commandments of God for it is in following Him and in their obedience to Him that they have been delivered from their enemies, kept safe and provided for in the wilderness and will now possess the land. Moses sees the danger of prosperity for the people clearly. The “prosperity gospel” is a dangerous thing for God’s people. We don’t see any evidence that the people were able to seek Him while in the midst of prosperity and in fact that was when they tended to wander from the Lord. We have too many things to distract us from Him and we become concerned with either making more or keeping what we have. It is important for us in the midst of plenty to recall that the Lord has given us all that we have and to always cling fast to Him and to set our hearts on Him.
Jesus and the disciples return to Bethany, the site of His greatest miracle, the raising of Lazarus from the dead. The family of Lazarus are his hosts and, presumably, Mary anoints Jesus out of thanksgiving for what He has done for her brother. The nard here would be worth a year’s wages for the average workingman and Judas with faux righteousness says it is wasted. Do we have that attitude towards what we do for the Lord? How we use our resources says much about us and our priorities. Judas’ callousness here is remarkable considering the miraculous work of Jesus in this family’s life and how it must have stung Mary to hear it. The saying of Jesus at the end of the passage is similar to His answer to those who questioned why His disciples weren’t fasting as John’s disciples did. Her offering is to the Lord and is an example of our own offering.
Paul’s admonition to Timothy is like Moses’ words to the people. He knows human nature and its propensity to reject the truth of God for some other preference. We do prefer some other truth, one that fits better with our preconceived notion of things, that requires less of us, less change, and allows us to live as we would prefer rather than according to God’s will. Paul’s prophecy about a time when people will no longer endure sound teaching surely came true then as it is true today. We must remain faithful to the Word and to the teaching of the church, not following after novelties that are culture-driven. It is for those who persevere in truth that a crown awaits.
All creatures of our God and King
Lift up your voice and with us sing,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
Thou silver moon with softer gleam!
O praise Him! O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
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