His Resources To Spend: Mark 14:4-5

In the end, God’s way is always best.  He knows what we truly need.  He knows what will satisfy our soul in the long run.  We strive after temporal peace and may find fleeting joy in the moment.  What God plans for us will stand the test of time.

The people complain the actions of the woman are wasteful.  They claim the oil could have been sold for money and given to the poor.  Theologians throughout time have hinted that the underlying suggestion is to sell the oil and put into the group’s collective coffer so it could be privately embezzled for the personal gain of the keepers of the group’s money.

I understand the complaints of the disciples.  Is it a good use of resources to put highly scented oil over a person when that scent lasts a short time?  In today’s context, I wonder at creating fancy buildings with picturesque windows and cozy seating and technological wonders to make the stage more exciting.  Should churches be buying up large tracts of land creating edifices of opulence?  Didn’t Jesus Himself just teach about the stones of the temple and how they would be torn down?  Does God care about our displays of our own prosperity?

This question will get answered more deeply tomorrow when we hear Jesus’ response to the disciples.  For today, it is worth some time thinking through our stance with God and provision.  God is often accused of mismanaging provisions – or at the very least using resources differently than we would.  If God can turn two fish and five loaves of bread into a meal for thousands of people, why is there still hunger in the world? If God can bring forth enough rain to flood the world, why do we suffer from drought?  If God can turn stones into bread, why is there famine and hunger?

These are great questions to ponder.  There are no easy answers; there are nuances to consider.  They illustrate the world is not black and white but shades of gray.

Another great question may help direct our thoughts.  If Jesus could feed multitudes, wouldn’t it have been better for Jesus to continue to feed the poor throughout time than die?  If Jesus could heal the sick from their inflictions, wouldn’t it have made more sense to continue to heal the sick and afflicted rather than die?

These questions should be easier to answer.  Jesus’ death is incredibly significant.  By dying on the cross, Jesus provides the path to God for all people for all time.  He provides an eternal solution to an eternal problem.  Jesus could have continued to heal people in one locale and made the lives of hundreds of people better off.  Instead, the cross grants eternal life with God forever for billions throughout all time.  Our perspective – what we think God should do with His resources – does not always mesh with God’s plans.  In the end, God’s way is always best.