As I begin writing this devotion, it is a super cold January morning and I’m sitting at my kitchen table with a fresh pot of coffee brewing. The coffee was a Christmas gift I’ve been enjoying all month, but today it is especially appreciated because of its rich aroma, warmth, and jolt of caffeine.
Like a full pot of coffee, Matthew 26 contains so much! In the cold, dark January morning, as we read this chapter, our mood might be heavy and filled with sorrow and dread for what is happening and what is about to happen to Jesus—and rightfully so! But it’s also rich in meaning, purpose—and hope.
With betrayal, denial, and abandonment just a whisper away, Christ’s invitation to his disciples to receive and share in his kingdom of love and sacrifice at the Last Supper is a revelation of the depth of God’s love. It echoes the promises of the Passover that death will not have the final say, and we can trust in God’s power to deliver us. And not just from death, but from the cause of death and suffering, which is our sin.
A key element of Passover is the consumption of unleavened bread, symbolizing the haste with which the Israelites left Egypt. The removal of all leaven (or yeast) from the household during Passover represents the removal of sin and impurity from one’s life, which, as Jesus tells us, is now and forever accomplished by his body being broken and his blood shed for us.
Within Matthew 26, there are dark plots and cold betrayals, denials, abandonments, boastful pride, and human weakness aplenty. It’s easy to overlook what a true response to receiving deliverance looks like. Within this chapter is a devoted and grateful act of loving worship of the King of kings as he is anointed with sweet-smelling perfume (Matthew 26:6-13). This is what should catch our minds and hearts, like the rich smell of hot coffee on a deathly cold day! This act, usually performed as a ritual before burial, is a foreshadowing of what Jesus is about to endure for our benefit.
Although it isn’t mentioned in Matthew, other gospels identify the woman who anoints Jesus as Mary, the sister of Lazurus who was raised from death. Jesus’ acceptance of this woman’s devotion and love is shocking to the culture of his disciples. It turns the accepted practices of their day upside down. This is a demonstration of God’s economy—not the world’s. It is a demonstration of how our response to God’s act of love could be, and the way that kind of response fills the atmosphere we inhabit for all to share.
As we receive the bread and cup at communion, we remember the love God has for us—that while we are still sinners, Christ suffered and died for us so we might be free from sin and death. We can’t earn this kind of love by being perfect, but we can gratefully receive it and pour out the perfume of our lives in response. It’s the aroma of our receiving deliverance, and it’s meant to be shared.
Reflection:
- What favorite smells remind you of the goodness of God?
- What pours out of you when you realize the depth of God’s love for you?
- What can you do today to remind others of God’s love for them?