Simplify Our Focus.

Matthew 26: 6-9 When Jesus was at Bethany, a guest of Simon the Leper, a woman came up to him as he was eating dinner and anointed him with a bottle of very expensive perfume. When the disciples saw what was happening, they were furious. “That’s criminal! This could have been sold for a lot and the money handed out to the poor.”

10-13 When Jesus realized what was going on, he intervened. “Why are you giving this woman a hard time? She has just done something wonderfully significant for me. You will have the poor with you every day for the rest of your lives, but not me. When she poured this perfume on my body, what she really did was anoint me for burial. You can be sure that wherever in the whole world the Message is preached, what she has just done is going to be remembered and admired.”

14-16 That is when one of the Twelve, the one named Judas Iscariot, went to the cabal of high priests and said, “What will you give me if I hand him over to you?” They settled on thirty silver pieces. He began looking for just the right moment to hand him over.

How we can judge everything so perfectly and consistently backwards is quite humbling. This story breaks down our ‘noble’ speeches and intentions and declutters our vision. Our job: Serve Him - Simplify our focus - and that will cover the poor, but truly cover the poor. Our judgments will lead us astray, but He won’t. Physical appearance will deceive us, but He will not… and He loves us all… We can trust that He loves us all. Save our judgments, simplify our focus, and Love and Live.