Category: Bible Study

Mark 14:3-11 ESV

And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. There were some who said to themselves indignantly,“Why was the ointment wasted like that? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her. But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”

Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to betray him.

Humility in the Anointing and Betrayal

In Philippians 2:3, Paul charges the church to “do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves” (ESV). Mark 14:3-11 juxtaposes the anointing of Jesus with the betrayal of Jesus, revealing where each of these divergent attitudes of selfish ambition and humility ultimately lead. 

In John’s account of this same story, we discover that the woman who anointed Jesus was Mary, the sister of the recently resurrected Lazarus (John 12:1-8). The alabaster flask of ointment that Mary poured over Jesus’s head was worth almost a year’s salary of an ordinary palastinian day laborer, and it was probably the most valuable thing that she owned. She had very recently witnessed Jesus call her dead brother back to life. So, in her eyes the price of the ointment compared with the gift of Lazarus’s resurrection wasn’t even close. Her desire was to give Jesus the very best thing she had in order to honor Him and express her gratitude and praise. Jesus said it was a beautiful thing that she had done. 

It was Judas who scolded Mary for wasting such an expense on Jesus, claiming that it should have been sold and given to the poor (John 12:4-5). John wrote that Judas was in charge of the disciple’s money and would often steal it for himself (John 12:6). Of course, it was also Judas who betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, which we know he didn’t give to the poor because he later returned it before his suicide (Matt. 27:3-5). It is not hard to see that the desires of Judas’s heart were greedy and that he used Jesus to feed his selfish ambitions. 

C.S. Lewis wrote that, “you will certainly carry out God’s purpose, however you act, but it makes a difference to you whether you serve like Judas or like John.” I’d only change John’s name to Mary. Mary glorified Jesus by humbly gifting Him with her very best, and Jesus said she would be remembered for it always. Judas glorified Jesus by betraying Him, which led Jesus to the cross to die for the sake of the world while Judas took his own life in self hatred. 

It can be easy for me to go through the motions of acting like a disciple of Jesus who humbly cares for others as long as things go according to my plans. It’s easy to buy food to distribute to the poor or show up to a church service to worship and pray with others. However, when I’m caught off guard and somebody needs the money, food, or time that I intended for myself, that is when my heart’s treasure is truly revealed. Do I really count others as more significant than myself, or am I using Jesus and His people for my own benefit? What reveals your heart’s true treasure? 

The humility of Jesus is displayed in His being a better treasure than we could gain for ourselves. Jesus accepted Mary’s gift as an anointing and then poured Himself out for her on the cross. Jesus let Judas choose to treasure a few coins over Him so that all who had betrayed Him could be reconciled to God. Jesus counted others more significant than Himself even when the favor wasn’t returned, and for those who humbly accept His gift there is life abundant found in Him. 

Prayerfully consider these few questions:

1. Has life interrupted by a quarantine revealed anything about what or who your heart truly treasures?
2. How has Jesus proved to be worth more than anything else? 
3. How would life be different for you if you consistently counted others as more significant than yourself? What would be lost and what would be gained?

Matthew 21:18-22 ESV

In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once.

When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?” And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and  do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”

Humility in Cursing of the Fig Tree

Jesus told a parable concerning a fig tree that didn’t yield fruit in Luke 13:6-9. Seeing the fruitless fig tree, the man who planted it told the vinedresser to cut it down because it was worthless. The parable ends with the vinedresser’s request that the tree, having just been fertilized, be given one more year.

This is the story of Israel’s relationship to God and their covenant purpose of making Him known in all the earth. They were given every provision and every reason to trust God, but time and again they were unfaithful and sought their own sources of power, wealth, and prosperity. After Jesus cleansed the temple, it was clear that things hadn’t changed. The temple was busy, but the worship there was fruitless; it didn’t make God known to others. So, when Jesus cursed the fig tree He was undoubtedly making a statement about the continued unfruitfulness and coming judgment of the temple.

Jesus was hungry and wanted something to eat, but the fig tree yielded no fruit. We can assume that Jesus could have easily made the tree bear fruit to satisfy His hunger, but instead Jesus cursed the tree and taught His disciples about a faith that can move mountains. Through His actions Jesus not only made a statement about Jerusalem and the temple, He pointed to the better fruit of a humble faith in God. 

It occurs to me that we are more often found quickly thanking God for our “daily bread” (Matt. 6:11) than praying that He provides it. Is that because we’re proud and would rather leave the providing to ourselves? In a crisis, are you quick to yank the reins of your life from the hands of God in an effort to make things manageable again? In those moments when we are quick to skip the prayers, get out our planners, make a list, and start checking some boxes, the reality of where our faith lies is often revealed.

The humility of Jesus demonstrates a better faith that relies fully on God and seeks His glory above all else, in every circumstance. Paul says in Philippians 2:6 that Jesus, “though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped” (ESV). This is the humble faith that led Jesus to endure the cross in submission to the will of the Father. The good news is that because of the humble faithfulness of Jesus, instead of us bearing the curse of the fig we’ve been granted full access to call on the God who moves mountains and conquers death. 

Prayerfully consider these few questions:

1. Jesus tells His disciples in Matthew 21:22, “whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” How does that challenge you? 
2. In a time of crisis, what is revealed about where you place your faith? In what ways do you trust yourself over trusting God?
3. What is the better fruit that is yielded by humbly trusting in Jesus over yourself? How can you remember that for daily living?

Luke 19:29-40 ESV

When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, saying,“Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’” So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out” (ESV).

Humility in the Triumphal Entry

As Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on the back of a colt the crowds laid their cloaks and palm branches (John 12:13) along the road to prepare the way before Him. They sang His praises and hailed Him as God’s promised eternal King. In ancient times, a king would often ride a donkey as a sign of the peace they had achieved. After all, a horse and chariot were no longer needed when a king had won all his battles and there were no remaining threats. 

Jesus was doing more than fulfilling Zechariah’s prophecy (Zech. 9:9) when He entered the city on a donkey. He was very intentionally announcing the establishment of God’s kingdom of peace and His identity as the long awaited King. The Pharisees, observing all of this, urged Jesus to silence the people’s praises, but He refused. Where is the humility of Jesus?

The Pharisees were well aware of the significance of the claims that were being made about Jesus’s Kingship, and they called on Jesus to show some humility by refusing to accept such praises. However, their request was a guise. John’s account of this same story says that “the Pharisees said to one another, ‘You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him’” (John 12:19, ESV). What they wanted more than Jesus’s humility was the support and allegiance of the people for their own gain and political agenda, and this whole scene was threatening to their own sway over the crowds.

Whatever Jesus’s  followers celebrated and understood about Jesus’s announcement, they certainly didn’t expect what would transpire over the next week. They had no idea that they would praise Him as King on that day only to deny Him, reject Him, and call for His execution within days. They were enamoured by His miracles, the moment, and the prospect that their plight as a lowly people under Roman rule might soon change. Like the Pharisees, they were out for themselves, and when Jesus was taken into custody later in the week they would shift their allegiance to whoever gave them more confidence in the moment about their future well being.

We can easily mistake confidence for pride and power. So often political leaders, business executives, and even pastors and other religious leaders rouse the praises of the people but turn out to be nothing more than prideful and arrogant, ultimately exploiting their sway of the people for their own selfish gain. Jesus is different. 

Jesus didn’t come to gain power, He is all powerful. Paul says in Philippians 2:7-8 that Jesus, who is God, “emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (ESV). Jesus came to lay His life down for the people in the crowd, for the Pharisees, and for all who were going to mock Him and attempt to rob Him of His kingship. He would give His life to forgive them knowing they didn’t have a clue, knowing they were captive to sin and idolatry, and knowing they were ultimately robbing themselves and others of knowing true peace and joy. Jesus would die on a cross within the week so that they could finally have peace with God. This is the humility of Jesus. 

The humility of Jesus bears better confidence than the pride and arrogance of this world. Only Jesus, who is God incarnate, could rightly and humbly ride through that crowd with confidence. When Jesus refused to silence the crowds He knew that to deny their praises and proclamations would be to deny the truth. Jesus knew what nobody else knew; the price He would pay within a week to establish peace with God on their behalf. He would confidently give away everything for the sake of the world, knowing that everything that He is would remain for eternity. 

Prayerfully consider these few questions:

1. What are you afraid to lose or let go of that keeps you from confidently and humbly living like Jesus? Any selfish ambition, material possession, or personal relationship? 
2. Jesus’s humility is rooted in a confidence that He can lose everything and still have everything. How has He made that true for you also?
3. The humble confidence of Jesus is yours as an heir with Christ (Phil 2:5, Rom. 8:17). If your heart could grasp that and believe it, how would you live differently?