[She]took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples … said, “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?”
John 12.3-5
Come, let’s be honest: who of us would not have made the same comment that Judas did? Three hundred denarii would have been nearly a year’s wages for a labourer. Surely, an outrageous waste of money to spend … on perfume, for goodness’ sake!
John’s explanation of the event is that Judas was a thief, didn’t care for the poor in the least, and wanted access to this money in the common purse. John was wise after the event!
Take some moments to articulate your views on money and possessions. Does the evidence match your views?
How do you deal with the tension of being in a world where excessive consuming, earning, succeeding and achieving is available to a few, and the majority survive with a fraction of the resources?
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