February 12th Daily Devotion

A SERIES OF DEVOTIONS BASED ON THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW 

IN MEMORY OF HER     

Matthew 26:6-13 “While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came to Him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on His head as He was reclining at the table. When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.” Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to Me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have Me. When she poured this perfume on My body, she did it to prepare Me for burial. Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”  

Jesus’ disciples were often on a different “wave-length” than He. In today’s devotional verses this was the case. When a woman anointed Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume, Jesus’ disciples complained to Him. They said, “Why this waste?” they asked. “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.” 

The disciples did not comprehend the significance of what the woman did. Jesus said to them, “When she poured this perfume on My body, she did it to prepare Me for burial.” She was an instrument of God pointing out to the disciples and the crowds surrounding Jesus His pending death on Calvary’s cross.   

Before you criticize the behavior of your fellow Christians, first pray God to give you the gift of discernment to understand what they are saying and doing. They, like you, are God’s chosen people, called by Him “. . . that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9) The woman anointed Jesus to declare Him the Messiah, sent by God, to take away the sins of the world. What she did continues to be told to the world to this very day. 

Prayer: Show me Jesus, ways to tell the world You are the Son of God and Savior of the world. In Your holy name. Amen. 

Spread the reign of God the Lord,
Spoken, written, mighty Word;  
Ev’rywhere His creatures call
To His heav’nly banquet hall. 

Tell how God the Father’s will
Made the world, upholds it still,  
How His own dear Son He gave
Us from sin and death to save. 

Tell of our Redeemer’s grace,
Who, to save our human race  
And to pay rebellion’s price,
Gave Himself as sacrifice. 

Tell of God the Spirit giv’n
Now to guide us on to heav’n,  
Strong and holy, just and true,
Working both to will and do. 

Enter, mighty Word, the field;
Ripe the promise of its yield.  
But the reapers, oh, how few
For the work there is to do! 

Lord of harvest, great and kind,
Rouse to action heart and mind;  
Let the gath’ring nations all
See Your light and heed Your call.  

Spread the Reign of God the Lord // LSB 830