[Friday's Devotional] - Mistaken Priorities

What could be more "Christian" than to have a heart for the poor?  It is at the very heart of the gospel and Jesus showed it again and again.  So why was Judas so wrong in our reading today from John 12?  Here was very expensive perfume being 'wasted' by Mary instead of it being sold and the money given to the poor.

Today's concluding thought on 'misconceptions' seems so obvious that it hardly needs comment.  But wait!  Is this not exactly the argument used in so many Church Councils considering major expenditure on buildings or other projects, especially when it seems to be merely to improve the comfort of those worshipping?  Maybe it is not as easy as we thought. How then should we react to Jesus' reply to Judas?
"Leave her alone, it was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me." John 12:7-8.

There are seasons when there are conflicting priorities and we need to remember those that are always there and those that are short-tem, but still important.  For example, sometimes we need to attend to our spiritual needs before doing the good works we see as evidence our faith.  Otherwise we may put the cart before the horse in the mistaken belief that our works show our faith.  In Judas' case the disciples were all aware that Judas' zeal for the poor was tempered by his itchy fingers, and we need constantly to remind ourselves about why we do things, no matter how laudable.

So today why not ponder the priorities on your life in the next few days, weeks and months. It is a horrifying thought that if I don't attend to my personal spiritual needs, my spirit withers. Not His fault, I hasten to add, but mine, because He waits for us; but I may blind my eyes to Him.  Judas did that and we know what happened to him.  But so did Peter (remember the cock crow?) and we know what happened to him. (John 21:15f)


Alan Cartwright

Read the Bible in a year:  Proverbs 12:18-27, 1 Samuel 5:1-7:17, John 11:45-12:11