• 马可福音 14:1-11

杀害耶稣的阴谋

1过两天是逾越节，又是除酵节，祭司长和文士在想法子怎样设计捉拿耶稣，把他杀掉。 2他们说：“不可在过节的日子，恐怕百姓生乱。”

在伯大尼受膏

3耶稣在伯大尼痲疯病人西门家里坐席的时候，有一个女人拿着一玉瓶极贵的纯哪哒香膏来，打破玉瓶，把膏浇在耶稣的头上。 4有几个人心中很不高兴，说：“何必这样浪费香膏呢？ 5这香膏可以卖三百多个银币周济穷人。”他们就对那女人生气。 6耶稣说：“由她吧！为什么难为她呢？她在我身上做的是一件美事。 7因为常有穷人和你们在一起，要向他们行善，随时都可以，但是你们不常有我。 8她所做的是尽她所能的；她是为了我的安葬，把香膏预先浇在我身上。 9我实在告诉你们，普天之下，无论在什么地方传这福音，都要述说这女人所做的，来记念她。”

犹大出卖耶稣

10十二使徒中有一个加略人犹大，去见祭司长，要把耶稣交给他们。 11他们听见就很高兴，又应许给他银子；他就想怎样找机会把耶稣交给他们。

（圣经并没说主在受难周的星期三做了什么。学者推测，在耶路撒冷疲惫不堪的两天之后，耶稣和门徒这一天在伯大尼休息，以迎接逾越节的到来。）

乌云正聚集在耶稣的周围。宗教领袖正在严肃地策划要杀死他。他将像逾越节的羔羊一样，为整个世界的罪而牺牲（约翰福音1:29）。连他的门徒也未能理解即将发生的事情。但耶稣从伯大尼的马利亚那里得到了安慰——马利亚总是在耶稣的脚前，认真地听他说话。

耶稣正在吃饭时，马利亚拿了一玉瓶“至贵”的香膏进来（马可福音14:3）。她打碎了玉瓶，把里面的香膏全都倒在耶稣的头上，令大家大吃一惊。她本可以只倒一两滴，但却慷慨地敬拜耶稣。马利亚因为“枉费”如此贵重的香膏而受到严厉的责备——这些香膏本来可以卖钱用来周济穷人。这些人可真会精打细算！批评者中最主要的是加略人犹大（见约翰福音12:4–5）。他作为财务主管和小偷，可偷拿卖香膏赚来的钱。

耶稣责备了犹大和其他批评者。他让他们别管马利亚，并称赞她“做的是一件美事”（马可福音14:6）——她在为耶稣的安葬做准备。她在耶稣脚前花了很多时间听他说话，因此她很可能是这群人中，唯一真正了解将要在耶稣身上发生什么事的人。她那了不起的敬拜举动流芳百世。

这时犹大狠起心来背叛他的主。他采取了叛徒的步骤，找到祭司长，出卖了耶稣。他为什么要这样做呢？他是因为耶稣责备他而心有不甘吗？他是想迫使耶稣承担起政治弥赛亚的角色吗？还是他只是贪婪？马太福音告诉我们，他试图与祭司长讨价还价，但他出卖耶稣只得到微不足道的报酬（马太福音26:15）。祭司长倒是很高兴，因为他们在耶稣的门徒中找到了一个奸诈的盟友。从他批评马利亚美丽的奉献行为的那一刻起，犹大就走上了危险的下坡路，步向灭亡。这个指责马利亚枉费钱财的人最终枉费了自己的一生。

思考

由于马利亚认真而忠实地聆听了耶稣的声音，因此她比耶稣周围的许多人更了解耶稣和他的使命。在疫情暴发所带来的许多干扰和担忧中，我们如何才能继续花时间聆听耶稣说话？

马利亚在敬拜耶稣方面不遗余力。反思你自己对基督的敬拜。今天你要向他献上什么？他给了你什么？

• 花点时间向神献上感恩与祈求

• Mark 14:1-11

The Plot to Kill Jesus

1 It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him, 2for they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar from the people.”

Jesus Anointed at Bethany

3 And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. 4There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? 5For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her. 6But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. 8She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. 9And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”

Judas to Betray Jesus

10 Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. 11And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to betray him.

(The Bible doesn't say what the Lord did on the Wednesday of Passion Week. Scholars speculate that after two exhausting days in Jerusalem, Jesus and his disciples spent this day resting in Bethany in anticipation of Passover.)

Dark clouds were gathering around Jesus. The religious leaders were seriously plotting to kill Him. He was about to be sacrificed like a Passover lamb for the sin of the whole world (John 1:29). Even His disciples failed to appreciate what is about to happen. But Jesus drew comfort from Mary of Bethany, who was always to be found at the feet of Jesus, listening attentively to Him.

Jesus was having a meal when Mary brought in a jar of “very expensive” perfume (Mark 14:3) and shocked everyone by breaking it and pouring all its contents on Jesus’ head. She could have poured just a drop or two, but she worshipped Jesus generously. Mary was harshly rebuked for “wasting” such expensive perfume, which could have been sold to help the poor instead. How financially efficient these people were! Chief among the critics was Judas Iscariot (see John 12:4–5), who as treasurer and thief could have helped himself to the money from the sale.

Jesus rebuked Judas and the other critics. He told them to leave Mary alone and commended her for having done a “beautiful thing to me” (Mark 14:6). She had prepared Him for burial. Having spent time at Jesus’ feet actually listening to Him, she was likely the only one in the group who really understood what was about to happen to Jesus. For her magnificent act of worship she would be remembered everywhere and for all time.

At this point Judas turned decidedly against his Master. He took the traitorous steps of finding the chief priests and betraying Jesus. Why did he do it? Was he sore that Jesus rebuked him? Was he trying to force Jesus to accept His role as the political Messiah? Or was he just greedy? Matthew tells us that he tried bargaining with the chief priests but could only extract a meagre sum for betraying Jesus (Matthew 26:15). The chief priests were delighted that they had found a treacherous ally among Jesus’ disciples. From the moment he criticised Mary for her beautiful act of devotion, Judas was on a dangerous downward slide to perdition. The man who accused Mary of wasting money would end up wasting his whole life.

Think It Over

Having listened to Jesus carefully and faithfully, Mary knew more about Jesus and His mission than many of those around Him. With the many distractions and concerns thrown up by the coronavirus outbreak, how can we continue to spend time listening to Jesus?

Mary spared nothing in her act of worship of Jesus. Reflect on your own worship of Christ. What will you offer Him today? What has He given you?

• Take a moment to give thanks and prayers to God