盡她所能去服侍主
馬太福音二十六章1至14節
1耶穌說完了這一切的話，就對門徒說：
2“你們知道，過兩天是逾越節，人子將要被交給人，釘在十字架上。”
3那時，祭司長和民間的長老，聚集在大祭司稱為該亞法的院裡。
4大家商議要用詭計拿住耶穌殺他；
5只是說：“當節的日子不可，恐怕民間生亂。”
6耶穌在伯大尼長大痲瘋的西門家裡，
7有一個女人拿著一玉瓶極貴的香膏來，趁耶穌坐席的時候，澆在他的頭上。
8門徒看見就很不喜悅，說：“何用這樣的枉費呢！
9這香膏可以賣許多錢，賙濟窮人。”
10耶穌看出他們的意思，就說：“為甚麼難為這女人呢？她在我身上做的是一件美事。
11因為常有窮人和你們同在，只是你們不常有我。
12她將這香膏澆在我身上，是為我安葬做的。
13我實在告訴你們：普天之下，無論在甚麼地方傳這福音，也要述說這女人所行的，作個記念。”
14當下，十二門徒裡有一個稱為加略人猶大的，去見祭司長，
信息分享
那時，各人正倚靠在長椅上坐著，雙腳擱在椅的末端。馬利亞拿著一瓶極貴的香膏走近基督身旁，帶著無比的愛，馬利亞將大半瓶香膏倒在祂的腳上，然後再用其餘的香膏膏祂的頭。整間屋子都瀰漫著芬芳的香氣。
一些門徒甚感不滿，特別是猶大。他們能看到的只是香膏的價值，要花多少錢；卻不像基督一樣看重這份禮物背後的愛。猶大甚至清楚算出它的價格──一年的工資，價格不菲。約翰卻指出，猶大這樣想，只是因為他經常私自取用公家的錢。
馬利亞膏抹基督可能基於兩個原因。第一，無疑是感激基督使她的弟弟拉撒路復活。但另一個原因，則出於基督的口。或許，馬利亞已經記住基督預言自己將要受死的事，她是否認為，祂死後，她可能沒有機會膏祂的遺體，所以要事先膏祂？這似乎是她這份愛的禮物的真正原因；要是如此，馬利亞便是一個比任何人更相信祂預言被釘十架的人。
基督讚賞她作了一件美事。我們今天讀這感人的故事，同樣是應驗了基督的預言：「無論在甚麼地方傳這福音，也要述說這女人所行的，作個紀念。」因此，我們為基督和福音的緣故，無論作甚麼，基督都會知道，而終有一天，我們必站在祂的面前得賞賜。馬利亞當然也在得賞賜的行列中。
SHE DID WHAT SHE COULD
Matthew 26:1-14
1 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, that He said to His disciples,
2 “You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.”
3 Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas,
4 and plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him.
5 But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.”
6 And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper,
7 a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table.
8 But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste?
9 For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor.”
10 But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me.
11 For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always.
12 For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial.
13 Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”
14 Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests
Message
As they reclined on the various couches, with their feet over the end, Mary approached the place where Christ was with a jar of perfumed oil, the most expensive item. In the extravagance of love, Mary poured most of it onto His feet and then the final drops she poured on to His head. The whole house was filled with the beautiful perfume.
Some of the disciples, Judas in particular, objected. All they could see was the cost, and the money involved. They didn’t see the love behind the gift as Christ did. Judas even put a price on it - a year’s wages, a huge price. But John wrote that Judas thought this way only because he often helped himself to their common money bag.
This anointing was possibly prompted by two thoughts. One was no doubt gratitude for the raising of Lazarus, her brother. But the other thought was mentioned by Christ. Somehow Mary had entered into what Christ had been saying about His death. Did she think that she might have no opportunity to anoint His body after His death and so she did it beforehand? This seems to be the real reason behind her love gift. If so, then Mary was the one who, more than anyone else, anticipated His crucifixion.
Christ’s commendation of her action is so beautiful. Even the fact that we are reading this moving story today is a fulfilment of Christ’s prophecy, “wherever the Gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.” Whatever we do for Christ’s and the Gospel’s sake is noticed by Him and will be rewarded some day when we all stand before Him. Mary will be there too.