Six
days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had
raised from the dead. They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served, while
Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with him. Mary took a liter of
costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of
Jesus and dried them with her hair; the house was filled with the fragrance of
the oil. Then Judas the Iscariot, one of his disciples, and the one who would
betray him, said, "Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days' wages
and given to the poor?" He said this not because he cared about the poor but
because he was a thief and held the money bag and used to steal the
contributions. So Jesus said, "Leave her alone. Let her keep this for the
day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have
me."
The
large crowd of the Jews found out that he was there and came, not only because
of him, but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. And the
chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus too, because many of the Jews were
turning away and believing in Jesus because of him.
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Reflection:
Do you
allow hatred, greed and envy to sometimes rule over you? What normally is the
product when you allow these evils to take control of you?
The chief
priests allowed these evil intentions to rule over them that’s why they plotted
to kill Jesus and Lazarus. They saw in Jesus someone who could overthrow them
from their seat of power, so they must kill Him whatever it takes. This they
did successfully but what was the bargain for their successful plot against
Jesus? They allowed the devil to take control of them that’s why they were able
to do the unthinkable.
Hatred,
greed and envy are methods of the devil to slowly trap someone to do the
unthinkable. Take for example corrupt politicians who would do everything to
perpetuate themselves in power. Take for example spouses who allowed hatred and
unforgiveness to rule over their love for their spouse.
We all
know where these evil emotions brought the chief priests. It brought them to plot
the killing of Jesus. And so they thought that they were finally able to rid
Jesus out of their system.
But
they were all wrong; by His resurrection Jesus was able to defeat their evil
intentions. By His resurrection Jesus was able to impress upon the minds of the
chief priests that their hatred, greed and envy has brought them nothing except
further misery.
The same is true with us all, if we allow the devil to sow hatred, greed and envy in our hearts. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
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