Corona Chronicles - Crown of Thorns

Welcome to Corona Chronicles. We're in chapter 14 now, and we are we're rushing towards the climax of the of the story. We called this whole series crown of thorns because Jesus is approaching the cross to where his crown of thorns and we're really we're really coming up to that now. So chapter 14 but but but as we go, we're still seeing these incredible incredible stories And verse 1, now the Passover and the Feast of unleavened bread. We're only 2 days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him, but not during the feast they said or the people may riot.

While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Lepper, A woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume made of Purnard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. Some of those present were saying indignantly to 1 another why this wasted perfume. It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor and they rebukes her harshly. Leave her alone said Jesus.

Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you and you can help them anytime you want but you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial.

I tell you the truth wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will be told in memory of her. Then Judith Scary at 1 of the 12 went to chief priests to betray Jesus to them. They were delighted to hear this and they promised to give him money so he watched for an opportunity to hand him over. What a woman. Yeah.

That's that's that's sort of where I start, you know, Brilliant. It's amazing, isn't it? You know, like we were talking about in the last session watching and waiting for Jesus. And And we we do get the same thing here, you know, Judith is watching for an opportunity by the end of this story -- Mhmm. -- to hand him over.

And this woman here, she's watching as well waiting for her moment -- Yeah. -- you know, to to do this incredible act of love to to towards Jesus. Yeah. And she goes down in history because of it, you know. That's that's really helpful, isn't it?

And we are fulfilling Jesus' words by talking about -- Yeah. -- you know, that's what he said. Yeah. You know, the poor we will always have with us and we do. And this story is told and it is.

It. It's a mock, wasn't it? What's a statement that is? I mean, that that's that's the you know, we've said stuff like, it's an un un Jesus thing to say, isn't You know? Like, if you think about how the world sees Jesus, you know, meek and mild and, you know, and gentle, you know, like, is all those things.

Mhmm. But but it's not just it's not just about social action or he's some of the things he says are, you know, incredibly could be seen as incredibly arrogant If he's not God in the flesh, then this is this is terrible, for me to say. Yeah. And and the critics are right, you know, that was a waste. Yeah.

But but but it wasn't. And as you said, you know, there there is a very great link, isn't there between what we've seen in chapter 13? There's there's, you know, the the religious leaders and Judith who are watching for an opportunity to kill. And there's a lady who's watched for an opportunity to serve. Yeah.

There's the religious leaders and Judith who are ready. They're in a state of readiness -- Yeah. -- to trap him. And there's a woman who is ready to show devotion to him and that's the wonderful thing, isn't it? She doesn't She doesn't say, oh, I'll do it tomorrow or I'll show my love for him another day.

Yeah. Her readiness is seen in that she does it today. She makes the most of the opportunity And it is a a lavish display. Yeah. Yeah.

You know, Simon, the leper. You know, Jesus is in is in that house. Which says something about who he's associating with. Yeah. Yeah.

This woman is coming. She, you know, it's an expensive like over the top act of devotion, you know. And people you can see people are stunned. Yeah. Because it it's sort of you know, there's this supposedly moral objection.

You know, this could've been given to the poor, you know, and they're rebuking her. And that only shows just how lavish this gift was and how much she understands who Jesus is. Yeah. There's a there's a word I love that the old versions use, not in this story, but, you know, the the the story of the prodigal son. Mhmm.

And that word prodigal, you know, I saw I call this -- Yeah. -- the prodigal daughter. Yeah. Yeah. You know, because Prodigal just means lavish, means -- Yeah.

-- you know, and and it, you know, an insane a wasteful -- Mhmm. -- kind of lavishness, you know. Mhmm. But she does it here, and it's not waste water. No.

It's not. No. It's absolutely bang on, you know, it's bang on. The per the perfect thing to do. It does.

It fits the preciousness of the person, isn't it? Jesus doesn't despise the poor. He is in the house of a poor person, you know, of a of a restored poor person, you know? But but he still says, you know, look, What she has done is the best thing. Mhmm.

You know, she's she's anointed me in preparation for my burial. So this, you know, this will go down this will go down in history. Do not despise her. You know? And and I loved how he how he sort of dispatches with their kind of fake righteousness as well as I'm saying.

Yeah. You know, he said he said that the poor you will have always have with you, you can do you can help the poor anytime you like, you know, you know, and and and and I just think yeah, that that's exactly what they needed to hear, wasn't it? You know? Don't don't start with your excuses as well. Yeah.

Yeah. You know, you can help them anytime you like, and it's true. Mhmm. And of course, the 2 are linked, aren't they? So it is actually just not the case.

Yeah. You could really be devoted to the poor but hate Christ. You know, love I bet this woman showed a lot of concern for the poor as well. Yeah. You know, because when you devoted to Jesus, you've devoted to -- Yeah.

-- the weak and the marginalized as well. Yeah. So there are at least 2 You're you're devoted to his priority -- Yeah. -- you know, and his priorities is, you know, it is all wrapped up in the burial. Yeah.

Well, that's the amazing that's an amazing thing, isn't it? And it just just give her, you know, she knew more than -- Yeah. -- she was letting on. Yeah. She's kind of anticipating that Christ is gonna suffer and die, which is what he's been saying.

Yeah. Yeah. And so she's thinking it's maybe my last my last moment -- Yeah. Right. -- part of, you know, prepare him for what he's come to do.

Yeah. And so she does show a remarkable insight, isn't it? And, you know, Judas, considering he's been with Jesus for so long -- Yeah. -- seems just plainly not to have grasped. Yeah.

Yeah. It it it does it does display a remarkable simple belief faith in Jesus, isn't it? Because he has talked about dying and, you know, he has talked about rising again. And she's just taking his words. And responding.

You know? She she she, you know, there's no there's no sort of big debate in her mind. There's no there's no, like, what do you really mean by that? Know, she's just like, yep, he's gonna die. He's gonna be buried.

I'm gonna get him ready for it. I don't care what people think. I'm gonna -- Yeah. -- I'm gonna show my love for him. And that's where it challenges us cyprus, isn't it?

That, you know, it would be such a shame, wouldn't it to be very good at standing at a distance? And sort of talking about theology and who to help and being critical of those who just simply love Christ and pretending like we're that the ones in the know. But actually, where where is this devotion in our in our lives? This -- Yeah. -- I don't care what people think, you know, I've got what I've got and I'm gonna pour it out at the Lord's feed.

Yeah. And often often the way the religious heart is exposed is when it sees others loving Christ. Yeah. Doesn't it? And there's a kind of sense of, oh, that's a bit over the top place.

There's a criticism of it. Funny enough which reveals the religious heart, doesn't it? Yeah. So that's a challenge, Drew. Yeah.

And I'm struck as well just by the ending as well. You know, she goes down in history, it will be told in memory of her. But there's this line again then Judah is scary at 1 of the 12. That that's a common thing, isn't it? You know?

So he's always he he he goes down in his as well. It goes down. Yeah. And so the there's there's this contrast of these 2 people. Mhmm.

The you know, this woman who who poured her life out you know you know, literally -- Yeah. -- poured a life out for Jesus and there's this other this betrayer who is just on the take. Mhmm. You know, and and is looking for an opportunity to to to betray Jesus and get money for it. Mhmm.

You know, not give money away -- Mhmm. -- to his cause. But, you know, and and they both they're both remembered, but for for for vastly different Yeah. Attitudes. And what will we be remembered for?

Yeah. Exactly. With that with our lives and with the resources God gave us. Yeah. You know, what will we be remembered for?

Yeah. Pretty new.