Wasting Fragrant Oil

Matthew 26:6-16
And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table. 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.” But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me. For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always. For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial. Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her."

This woman was the Obscure Biblical Character for this week. The line ‘For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always’ confused me for awhile. My thinking on it is that Jesus is saying that it’s more important to serve Him than it is to serve others. The 'Why this waste' question from the disciples supports this, in my mind. I know there are other ideas about this verse, so feel free to email them to me (rocktalk951@gmail.com) (subject line: Matt 26 11 thoughts).

So this week’s Obscure Biblical Character:
-friend of Job
-talked for an entire chapter
-from Teman (I think that’s the name of the country… he‘s a Temanite, if that helps)

He’s friends with Job, so he’s in the book of Job.

In His Service,
Joyce