S. O. A. P.

Here’s your 90 second AM devotional!

S-cripture:

Mark 14:5

“It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages, and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.

O-bservation:

Like Matthew and Luke, Mark does not mention the name of the woman who bathed the feet of Jesus with her expensive perfume. It was “John the Beloved” who revealed that the woman was Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. Judas led the way in rebuking Mary for WASTING the expensive perfume on the feet of JESUS, when the perfume could have been sold and the money given to the poor.

A-pplication:

Later in the story, John tells us that Judas didn’t really care about the poor because he’d been stealing from the disciples “Joint Purse Account” (Jn. 12:6). Through the years, I’ve met many people who are a lot like Judas. At the root of everything they do is the “Sin of Jealousy.” Judas was jealous of the other disciples’ commitment to Jesus. He just didn’t have it. Judas was jealous of Jesus’ rising approval rating with the masses, when he himself was an obscure treasurer of the disciples limited “purse account.” Judas was jealous of Mary’s unusual generosity, when he himself was selfish and jealous of all the rest of them. Like Judas, I find many people today who are guilty of “Masking Jealousy With Fake Generosity!” They’re often the ones who scream, “Why did you waste all of that money on an expensive church building when you could’ve given the money to the poor,” only to find out later that they themselves don’t support the poor. Decide again this AM that you will be GENEROUS. I promise, if you are JEALOUSY will never be your issue.

P-rayer:

Dear Jesus,

With Your help today, I choose again to be GENEROUS. I don’t ever want to allow jealousy to invade the secret places of my heart. Amen