提要
本章揭開受難故事的序幕──耶穌被捕、受審、釘十架、和復活的經過。故事始於耶穌自己預言，祂將在逾越節時被交給人釘在十字架上。就在這個時刻，祭司長和民間的長老也聚集商議要殺耶穌，但他們不想在除酵節期間進行（除酵節是逾越節的前奏曲），因他們恐怕會使民間生亂。
不過，情節還是展開了。故事的張力和速度也開始加快。首先上演的是一齣不尋常的事件。耶穌在伯大尼長大痲瘋的西門家。這個西門可能是耶穌曾治好的一位痲瘋病人。有一個不知名的女人帶了一瓶極貴重的香膏來，趁耶穌坐席的時候，澆在祂的頭上。就像所有的「好」基督徒一樣，門徒很生氣，因為他們認為那瓶香膏可以賣許多錢來救濟窮人。耶穌卻回答說這是一件特別的事──「你們常有機會可以救濟窮人，但你們不常有我」，祂還說：「她將香膏澆在我身上，是為我安葬預備的。」
這個女人可能是想迫使耶穌宣告為王，因為用油膏頭是立儀式。她可能想這麼做能驅使耶穌採取某種行動。但耶穌將她的舉動作了另一種解釋。她或許想自己是在膏耶穌為王，但耶穌說，事實上她是為耶穌安葬作的。這是一個意義重大的時刻──耶穌說，普天之下無論在什麼地方傳福音，都要紀念這女人所行的。不過，不論一個人多麼的愛主、忠於主，耶穌都不會讓任何人迫使祂成就任何不是天父所定的計畫。
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Overview
This chapter is the beginning of what is known as the passion narrative – the story of the arrest, trial, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It begins with Jesus Himself predicting that at the Passover He would be handed over t be crucified. It’s at this point the chief priest and the elders of the people plot to kill Jesus, but they don’t want to do it during the feast of unleavened bread, which begins at the Passover, because they feel that there would be a riot among the people.
Nevertheless, the plot begins and the tension and speed of the narrative starts to pick up. It opens with a very unusual event in Bethany where Jesus is in the home of Simon the leper. Simon was probably someone whom Jesus had healed from leprosy. A woman, unnamed, comes to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume and pours it on His head as He reclines at the table. The disciples, like all good Christians everywhere, were angry because this perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor. Jesus responded by saying this was a special event – “The poor you will always have to minister to, Me you will have only for a short period of time.” He goes on to say, “When she poured this perfume on My body, she did it to prepare Me for burial”.
It could be that the woman thought she was forcing Jesus to claim the kingship because anointing on the head was something that was done to kings. It could be she thought that by doing this shi might spur Jesus into some kind of action. What He did was turn the act into something else. He said that she may have thought she was anointing Him to be King, but in fact she was anointing Him for burial. It was a very poignant moment: one that Jesus said would be remembered wherever the Gospel was preached throughout the world. Nevertheless, He would not allow anyone, however loving and loyal he or she might be, to force him to fulfill any agenda other than that of His Father in heaven.
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Prayer
We praise You Jesus for the way You followed the will of Your Father, unswayed by the world, even unto death on a cross. We pray for the determination to imitate You, our perfect example. |
