This passage contrasts the responses of two of Jesus' followers to His prediction of His death. In the prologue, Jesus predicts His betrayal and death, and the Jewish leaders plot to kill Him. In the epilogue, Judas Iscariot contracts with the Jewish leaders to betray Jesus. In the main body of the story, a woman shows her love for Jesus by anointing him with precious ointment.

This story is told in all four of the Gospels: Matthew 26:1-16; Mark 14:1-11; Luke 7:36-50; John 12:1-11. Read them all. It is a moving story!

When we put these Gospel accounts together, we get a picture of the main actors:

Simon the Leper was a Pharisee. He had contracted leprosy and had been healed by Jesus. He showed some amount of gratitude for his healing by inviting Jesus to dinner. But he thought Himself better than Jesus--too good to have even a servant wash Jesus' feet. How did Simon think he had special knowledge about Mary that Jesus did not have? Could it be that he participated in Mary's sins?

Mary the sinner. John's Gospel mentions Mary, Martha, and Lazarus in this story. Luke notes that Mary would rather be a Jesus feet, while Martha would rather be serving. (See Luke 10:38-41.) This may well have been Mary Magdalene. Jesus had cast seven devils out of her. (Luke 8:2.) She may have also been the women caught in adultery. (John 8:1-11.) Jesus raised her brother Lazarus from the dead. (John 11.) She took seriously Jesus prediction of His death and resurrection, and was one of the first to go to his tomb on Sunday morning.

Judas Iscariot. Judas was apparently an educated man. He, not Matthew the former tax collector, was Jesus' treasurer. Like Simon, he also appears to have thought that he sometimes had better judgment than Jesus.

Jesus is the main character of this story. Notice how He deals with everyone without trying to embarrass them. He tells Simon a story, then points out that Mary loved Him more than Simon did because she perceived her forgiveness to be great, while Simon thought he had been forgiven of only a few little sins. Jesus knew Judas was a thief, but He gently reminded him that there was plenty of opportunity to take care of the poor, if he so wished. Jesus affirmed Mary's display of gratitude.

We don't know how Simon reacted to Jesus rebuke. We hope that he repented and became an avid disciple of Jesus.

We do know how Judas reacted. He did not like Jesus questioning his wisdom. So he decided to push the matter. He went out and contracted to betray Jesus. From the story of Jesus' trial, we can guess that Judas did not really expect that Jesus would let Himself be killed. Judas did became famous (actually, infamous), but not in the way he supposed he would. Rather than being the hero who forced Jesus' hand, he is the villain who betrayed Jesus. It is never wise to second-guess Jesus.

A big take-away from this story is how Mary anointed Jesus BEFORE His death. By being anointed before His death, Jesus was able to enjoy the perfume. He called this a "wonderful thing." Very often, the funeral home is filled with flowers and stories of thankfulness for kind things the deceased person did during his life. The dead person does not see or hear these things. We should be like Mary and give perfume, flowers, and words of thankfulness before the person's death while they can enjoy them. And when someone shows us gratitude, we should be like Jesus and graciously accept it.

Because of this story, I am making it a point to take my parents flowers every opportunity I can. I do not want to stand in the funeral home having regrets for never having showed them my love and gratitude during their lifetime.

I should also be doing this for .... (You fill in the blanks.)

Jesus wants your compassion!

This story of the sheep and goats is probably the inspiration for the story of the cobbler. The story goes something like this: The cobbler was told by God that the Christ would visit him one day. So the cobbler kept a place set at the table and food ready all day. During the course of the day he fed a bum, and boy, and a woman--all of whom appeared to be cold and hungry. At the end of the day, he was disappointed that the Christ had not come. But God said, "I did come. I ate with you three times today. When you fed the boy, the bum, and the woman, you fed me."

When someone comes are around asking for money for food or clothing, what should we do? How are we to know whether the person is a scammer or is "Jesus?"

What about taking in the homeless? In many places of the world, my house would be considered big enough to house several families. There would be one or two families sleeping in every room of the house. Of course, the rooms where nobody sleeps are not bedrooms. But for most people of the world, every room in the house doubles as a bedroom!

And there is another question: Am I ready to risk the "peace and safety" of my family by bringing in a homeless person? Am I leaving Jesus out in the cold because I am afraid to bring "Him" into my house?

It has been a long time since I have visited anyone in prison or jail. I know a man in prison. He is in prison because he did wrong. I told him I would visit him. He has been there for a few months, but I have not visited yet. This weekend I will be visiting some shut-ins. I will visit the prison some weekend in January. Meanwhile, I do talk with him by phone every few weeks.

When a stranger walks into church, what do you do? Have you ever invited a stranger home for lunch? A lot of people don't invite people home for lunch because their house is not ready, or they don't have enough food prepared. If I waited until my house was ready before I invited anyone home, I would never invited anybody. Rather, I have already decided to invite somebody, ready or not. Therefore, my house is usually (at least mostly) ready. If a stranger comes to church and I don't invite him home, I have missed a lunch date with Jesus.

In the last four passages, Jesus has told us how to be ready for Him when He comes back.
1. Be doing what you are supposed to be doing--feeding God's household. You feed God's household by (a) taking care of your own family; (b) caring for the poor; and (c) spreading the gospel.
2. Always have extra oil. The oil represents cooperating with the Holy Spirit to perfect your character. You get the oil by prayer and Bible study. It is a free gift from God for those who ask.
3. Use your talents and ability. They are given to you by God to be used. If you use them, they will increase. If you don't use them, they will be taken away.
4. Have compassion on the poor, sick, and imprisoned.

Justification is by faith, not through works. But being ready for Jesus to come back takes some work.

Jesus says, "Use it or lose it. And those who use it gain more." There are to be no bench warmer Christians. In the AL, NL, NFL, NBA, etc., anybody who expects to spend the whole game, every game, sitting on the bench, will eventually be cut from the team. In the business world, anybody who is not pushing business forward is dead weight. Just so, anybody who is not willing to use their God-given talents to advance the kingdom of God will be cut from the kingdom.

In the parable of the talents:
- The man who gave his goods to his servants and went on a journey is Jesus. "When he ascended up on high, he ... gave gifts unto men." (Ephesians 4:8.)
- The servants, therefore, are the people of God. Presumably, this includes all members of the Christian church.
- The servants who increased their master's money are those who are actively working to save souls and increase the kingdom of God.
- The servant who buried his talent represent the benchwarmers and babysitters. Rather than aiming to increase the kingdom of God, their focus is to do whatever they can to make sure it does not decrease. They are unwilling to take the risks necessary to reach out and save souls. Instead, they sit on the bench/pew and do nothing, or they focus solely on people already in the church.
- The lord coming back and settling accounts with his servants represents the second coming of Jesus. (See Revelation 22:12.)

The world is full of examples of those who took their God-given talents and advanced the kingdom of God. Here are just a few.
- Martin Luther used his academic ability to study the Latin Bible. (The Bible was not available in German, his native language.) Once he discovered the doctrine of righteousness by faith, God gave him the ability to teach and preach. His teaching talent expanded into writing tracts and songs, and eventually translating the Bible into German. Pretty much every Christian alive today has been touched in some way by the life of Martin Luther.
- Susanna Wesley was just a Anglican priest's wife. But she was also a faithful mother and servant of God. She did her work well in training her children. And her influence extended well beyond her family. She was well known in the community, and neighbors used to drop by her kitchen to here her conduct family worship. In a large part as a result of her faithfulness as a mother, her sons Charles and John became the founders of the Methodist movement which has touched tens (hundreds?) of millions of souls.
- John Wesley is another example. He was willing to take large risks to advance the kingdom of God. Once he came to an understanding of grace and the relationship between law and grace, he worked tirelessly to promote true religion. Unwilling to restrict himself to a university classroom or local parish, he viewed the entire world as being his parish. He often suffered physical abuse as he traveled and taught. His "method" resulted in the spread of the gospel to tens (hundreds?) of millions of souls.
- Missionaries such as William Carey and Hudson Taylor used everything God gave them to advance the kingdom of God.
- The Seventh-day Adventist church also has many examples of taking risks and spending all to increase God's kingdom: Joseph Bates, James and Ellen White, John Nevins Andrews, and David Gates are just a few.

Unfortunately, there are many who are unwilling to risk anything for God. They may come to church, but are unwilling to participate in any way. These are the benchwarmers. Or they may be quite willing to keep programs running for those who come to church, but are unwilling to approach anyone outside their existing circle of friends and acquaintances. These are the babysitters. It may also be that they are afraid that they might do something wrong. They are afraid they might offend someone or turn someone off, so they do nothing. When Jesus comes back, they will say, "See, I never did anything to offend anyone and turn them away from You." But Jesus will say, "You worthless servant! You never brought anyone to Me who didn't already know Me."

OK, maybe you are not a bold risk taker. But Jesus says, "You could have at least put My money in the bank so that I would get interest on it." In other words, make a "safe" investment if you must, but invest. What are the "safe" investments in the kingdom of God? You might not feel comfortable telling everyone at family gatherings that they need to get saved, but you could give out religious books to everyone as a gift. You might feel timid about approaching people and asking them to study the Bible, but you might be able to start a web site or blog sharing your testimony and the gospel. You might not feel comfortable knocking on all the doors of your neighbors and asking them to study the Bible with you, but you can go around the neighborhood looking for ways to help people; if you are kind and active, chances are somebody will eventually ask about your religion. You can also start a program at your church where members can practice "witnessing" to other members before they approach non-members. There are numerous "safe" ways to invest yourself in the kingdom of God and have interest to show Jesus when He returns.

Let's remember where these gift come from. They come from God! This is not something we do because we are good. We can do these things only because God is good and gives gifts.

In the end, the Lord let the servants who invested keep His goods. He also gave them authority in His kingdom corresponding to the competence they displayed in managing His money.

The point for me today: God has given me a number of gifts. He expects me to use them. I have already seen Him realize some returns on His investment in me. But the best is yet to come. By His grace, I will plan well and use His gifts to the maximum. When He returns, I want to say, "Here is what you gave me with increase." I want to hear Him say, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

In Matthew 25 Jesus elaborates the watching period just before His return. He tells several parables to illustrate what He will be expecting His followers to be doing when He returns.

Today we discussed the parable of the ten virgins. Rather than retelling the story, I will discuss what each symbol in the parable means.

The bridegroom: Jesus. Jesus is to be married to His church. (2 Corinthians 11:2.)

The ten virgins: These were all Christians. They were all waiting for Jesus to come and receive His bride.

The lamps: There are several possible applications here. The lamp is the Bible. (Psalms 119:105.) The light is also Jesus. (John 8:12.) The Christian’s life is also to be a light to the world. (Matthew 5:14-16.) So the light represents having a knowledge of the Scriptures and Jesus, and applying that knowledge practically in how you live your life.

The oil: The oil represents the Holy Spirit. (Zechariah 4:1-6) As the olive tree supplies olive oil that powers the lamps, so the Holy Spirit supplies the power to apply the Bible to our lives. Our lives are changed to conform to the Bible teachings through the work of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 8:13; Galatians 5:16.)

Running out of oil: The foolish virgins had no reserve of oil. They allow the Holy Spirit to work in their lives to a certain extant, but do not allow complete victory over all sin. Therefore, their lights will go out before Jesus returns. The wise virgins have a reserve of oil. They have allowed the Holy Spirit to thoroughly sanctify their lives. They have a complete and practical knowledge of the Scriptures. They are ready to act in a Godly manner in any crisis.

The refusal to lend oil: On the surface it may seem mean of the wise virgins not to give any oil to their friends who ran out. But the wise virgins know that if they gave up any of their oil in this time of crisis, it would only delay the crisis. All ten would run out of oil in the middle of the wedding party. The only solution was for someone to go buy more oil. Naturally, the ones who did not bring extra oil should be the ones to go buy more. Likewise, we can teach each other and pray for each other, but in the end each of us has to individually allow God to change our lives. You cannot get to heaven on the coattails of anybody but Jesus Christ. If you have not made it your business to have a close relationship with God, you will not be ready for Jesus to return.

I do not know you: You get to know Jesus by studying the Bible, praying, and unselfish service to others. The power behind all of this is the Holy Spirit. Those who wait until the last minute to have a vital connection with God will find that they have waited too long. They will find themselves left outside the kingdom of heaven.

The point for me today: The same as last time—I should be busy studying the Bible, praying, and helping others. I need to live by the Holy Spirit so that my life will be completely reformed. Then, I will be ready when Jesus returns.

Yesterday we looked at the signs of Jesus’ return. We found that nearly everything has been fulfilled. Jesus could come pretty much any time now. Jesus said that just like the leaves on the trees show that summer is near, these signs show that He is at the door.

We can know that Jesus will come soon. But we cannot know the day or the hour. Many have made the mistake of trying to pinpoint the day, and have been disappointed. In the early 1800’s William Miller preached that Jesus would come back about 1843 or 1844. His followers pinpointed the date to October 22, 1844. It turns out they were right about the date, but wrong about the event that occurred on that date. (See The Great Controversy chapters 22, 23, and 24.) More recently it has been thought by some that Jesus would come back in the 1980’s, 1994, or 1996.

Jesus predicted that it may seem that His return is delayed. Everything seems normal. People eat, drink, and get married. But those who count on His coming being delayed are in for an unpleasant surprise—He will come when they least expect it.

Jesus told us to keep watch and to continue doing what He has told us to be doing. So I thought about what this means.

First, we are to keep watch. This would involve studying the Bible, observing what is happening in the world, and praying. We need to study the Bible to learn true doctrine. We need to study Bible prophecy to understand the events that are yet to take place so that we can recognize them when they happen. We need to be aware of the world around us so that we can recognize the signs of Jesus return. We need to pray to understand God’s word and our duty. We need to pray for forgiveness for what we have done wrong, and strength to do what is right. In summary, we need to know God on a personal basis.

Second, we are to keep doing what Jesus has told us to be doing. His last words were “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations….” (Matthew 28:19.) We should be busy spreading the gospel. We should also be keeping His commandments. (John 14:15.) This includes helping the poor and those oppressed by sin and sickness. (Matthew 25:31-46.) In summary, we need to know God by experience, working along side God to help and teach others.

The point for me today: Jesus is coming soon! Therefore, I should be busy studying the Bible, praying, and helping others.