Not As It Seems

When Mary poured a flask of costly, fragrant oil on Jesus, not everyone appreciated her sacrifice and generosity. Matthew tells us, "But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, ‘Why this waste? For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor’ " (26:8–9).

In a way, you can almost see their beef. The perfume was worth about $35,000. We may think, Is that good stewardship? Was that really a good idea? But John’s Gospel gives us a significant detail that provides us with important insight into who led this little revolt:

But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, "Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?" This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it. (John 12:4–6)

Judas was in charge of the money. His motive was not a concern for the poor; it was a concern for money leaving his pocket. In John 17:12, Jesus referred to Judas as "the son of perdition," which can also be translated as "the son of waste." So here we see "the son of waste" accusing Mary of waste

This is typical of hypercritical people. I have found that those who are so quick to find fault with others, often challenging their motives, usually are guilty of something far worse. They project their sins on the people they accuse, when, in reality, they are the ones with the problem.

I have also found that these people tend to do very little, and those who complain the least typically are the ones who do the most.