Jaw-dropping Jewels about Jesus
Rarely does Jesus, God the Son, do exactly what we expect of Him. It seems odd that He so frequently surprises us, given that He never changes. Hebrews 13:8 makes this absolute statement: “Jesus the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Still, though He is blessedly consistent in His goodness, Jesus does unforeseen things. Even when He does what is expected, He does not always do it in the way that we anticipate. Let us join with Jesus on a jaw-dropping journey. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)
In response to the unjust criticism of the loving and lavish giving of Mary of Bethany, Jesus strongly defends her: “And Jesus said, ‘Let her alone; why trouble ye her? She hath wrought a good work on Me’” (Mark 14:6). Three thoughts come to mind. First, Jesus is, as a hymn says, “our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend.” He “ever liveth to make intercession” for His people (Hebrews 10:25), defending us against Satan, “the accuser of our brethren (Revelation 12:10). Second, Jesus had also been attacked for doing “good” acts. In John 10:32, Jesus said to those looking to kill Him, “Many good works have I shewed you from My Father; for which of those works do ye stone Me?” Later, He said to His disciples, “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated Me before it hated you” (John 15:18). Not everyone will appreciate good works done from the best of motives, as Mary’s experience exemplifies. Third, Jesus points out that He was the recipient of this particular good work. While some were plotting to kill Him and others were ready to find fault, Mary was performing an act of genuine worship and adoration. What we do in our relationship with our Savior matters now and forever. It is always helpful to remember that anything good that we do is ultimately done for and to Him (Matthew 25:40). People may or may not be appreciative, but Jesus always is.