The Message
I'm willing to bet that you wouldn't have to think too hard to come up with an example of someone bursting with indignation over something recently. There are plenty of people bursting with indignation over things, often surprisingly small things. It's largely a way to have control over something -- we're all feeling a little overwhelmed and out of control, so losing one's mind over something gives you a sense of control over that thing. It doesn't make it right, but it reminds me that I probably need to react first with a little bit of grace rather than writing someone off completely.
In this instance, a woman has decided to make an offering to God. She has a bottle of very expensive perfume, and she pours it on Jesus. Others decide she could have used it in different ways, and they're happy to criticize her choice. Whenever we stand ready to criticize the offering of another, let us first be sure that we're ready to answer the question, "Well, what have you been offering?" It's always easy to spend someone else's offering, while often much harder to part with our own.
They respond with indignation, furious that she chose to use this resource in this way.
We all worship a little differently. May we give thanks for the diversity within the Christian church. When we ask questions of one another, may we do so with humility, genuinely seeking to grow in understanding and learn from the wisdom of another, rather than asking with the purpose of proving that we are correct and the other is acting foolishly.
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