Scripture Reading

And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head. And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made? For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her. And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her. And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests, to betray him unto them. And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. And he sought how he might conveniently betray him. Mark 14:3-11

Prayer

Lord, how mercifully You have redeemed us from sin and welcomed us into Your presence! While we could not earn the right to be near You, we wholeheartedly worship You now that the cross has provided access. Receive our worship – a life of worship that rejects all compromise and betrayal.

Discussion

1. The crowd thought the lady was unworthy of being near Jesus. She was a woman, had a questionable past, and was going overboard in her worship. What are some things in your life that others may see as hindrances to your access to Jesus? How does Jesus’ removal of those barriers become the sustaining force behind your worship?
2. Jesus taught His disciples to feed the poor, give water to the thirsty, take in strangers, and visit the sick. Yet, He also affirmed that the poor would always be present. Why do think this is? How does worship keep us from being discouraged when it seems like we have so far to go in caring for the needy around us?
3. Tragically, Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus after seeing the miracles and hearing His words of life. When have you been tempted to betray Jesus? What were some causes of those temptations? How does lavish worship address the temptation?