40 Days of Easter - April 1, 2011

Written by: Ray Raymond

ARE YOU ANOINTED?
Matthew 26: 6 - 13

Focal Verse
Matthew 26:11 "The poor you have with you always; but you do not always have Me."

In Matthew 26:6-13, we have an account of Jesus' visit at the home of Simon the leper in Bethany. Jesus was reclining at the table when Mary of Bethany came to Him in what appears to be a normal activity of hospitality and honor and anointed His head with a small vial of expensive perfume. In those days, good perfume was as valuable a commodity as precious metal like gold, but, for Mary, this anointing had a deeper meaning. She had recognized, as some others had not, Jesus' previous announcement of His soon-to-come death and resurrection.

Some of the disciples thought this was a waste and began scolding Mary, saying "the perfume should have been sold and the money given to the poor." But Jesus rebuked them, "Why do you bother the woman, For she has done a good deed to Me. For the poor you have with you always; but you do not always have Me." In Mark 14:7, we get a little more detail with Jesus saying, "The poor you will always have with you, and whenever you wish, you can do them good; but you do not always have Me."

Have you been anointed? Probably not in the way that Mary anointed Jesus, but you have been anointed if you have accepted the saving grace of Jesus Christ. You have been anointed with something absolutely priceless. You have been consecrated, or set apart, with the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. As Jesus pointed out, we always will have the poor with us and we do, and indeed we should help them as much as we possibly can. Still, while we share our worldly blessings, it is far more important to share the Good News of the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Have you been able to help someone in need lately and neglected to give the glory to our Father? Have you missed an opportunity to witness to someone, someone in need or not? Our attention and response to the voice of the Holy Spirit can be diminished by the world if we are not careful to stay in His Word and actively seek His guidance.

Prayer
Our Holy Father, to whom all glory and honor and worship belongs, forgive us for neglecting to stay in your Holy Word as much as we should and not applying it in our daily lives as much as we should. Help us to keep our hearts open to the voice and guidance of your Holy Spirit. Amen.