As we work our way to the May ending of this series Back to Basics, we have several different sections of text in both Mark and Peter to complete in as orderly a way as possible Certainly, the seasons of the church year have affected the order of our progress and for that we must now make amends even as we pass through another resurrection season with an appropriate text or two left over.

These beginning verses of chapter fourteen have three themes in quick sequence. The plotting of the Old Covenant Church leaders, the anointing of Christ and the contact of Judas with the Jewish leaders. One of the first things we notice is that while the chief priests and scribes are ready to pounce upon our Lord, they are restrained because of the holiday season there in Jerusalem. Well they may hesitate, the population in town for the Passover may have been five times greater than normal, extra Roman soldiers strengthened the garrison and the Roman governor came in from Ceserea just in case another riot developed.

And so the ordinary tensions were raised above the common, even as all the Sovereign Lord of the universe turned events to meet His providential schedule. This sense we draw from Calvin who describes the situation: "They did not think it a fit season, till the festival was past, and the crowd was dispersed. Hence we infer that, although those hungry dogs eagerly opened their mouths to devour Christ, or rather, rushed furiously upon him, still God withheld them, by a secret restraint, from doing any thing by their deliberation or at their pleasure. So far as lies in their power, they delay till another time; but, contrary to their wish, God hastens the hour. And it is of great importance for us to hold, that Christ was not unexpectedly dragged to death by the violence of his enemies, but was led to it by the providence of God; for our confidence in the propitiation is founded on the conviction that he was offered to God as that sacrifice which God had appointed from the beginning. And therefore he determined that; his Son should be sacrificed on the very day of the passover, that the ancient figure might give place to the only sacrifice of eternal redemption. Those who had no other design in view than to ruin Christ thought that another time would be more appropriate; but God, who had appointed him to be a sacrifice for the expiation of sins, selected a suitable day for contrasting the body with its shadow, by placing them together. Hence also we obtain a brighter display of the fruit of Christ's suffering."

May we learn here that every season is one for sin, if the grudge or encouragement be strong enough in the heart of the sinner. I have even heard that in some places abortions are scheduled for the Lord's own Day because the Christian protagonists are more apt to be in church instead of in their usual place of protest. In the early years of the last century, special Christmas trains were ordered up for a surprise session of Congress to vote on enabling legislation for a Federal Reserve System. Strangely, those who were opposed on principle could not find any special trains to speed them into the Capital and thus the midnight session achieved its sordid goal while the nation's press was bought off or slumbered over the American high holy daze! Other events in history could also be recited to demonstrate that the wickedness of mankind is not limited by any federal or religious holy day. We see this same human sensitivity to taking every opportunity for wickedness at play in the reactions and actions of the Old Covenant leadership. And yet, not yet according to their anticipated time table.

And so Mark moves on to a seemingly innocent event, which triggers the immoral outrage of Judas so that he willingly seeks out the religious leaders with a surprise opportunity all within the Lord's sovereign allowance. How much we need to appreciate that historic events are will within the complete control of our Sovereign God. While this little story of anointment seems out of place in this section, it is this event which is the last straw for Judas who was troubled by the apparent waste.

Can we see an enactment of Psalm 133 here in this precious moment? Turn with me briefly to that Psalm and consider the themes in that short but sweet psalm. "It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, ... running down on the edge of his garments." Look back to verse one to see what is supposed to be like this anointment? "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!"

The only unity in this passage of Mark is in opposition to what the young lady had done with a whole year's wages! And so the complaint which began with Judas infects the whole body of disciples. Calvin makes some interesting observations on this process: "This also is not unusual with the Evangelists, when a thing has been done by one, to attribute it to many persons, if they give their consent to it. John says that the murmur proceeded from Judas, who betrayed Christ, (John 12:4.) Matthew and Mark include all the disciples along with him. The reason is, that none of the others would ever have dared to murmur if the wicked slander of Judas had not served for a torch to kindle them. But when he began, under a plausible pretext, to condemn the expense as superfluous, all of them easily caught the contagion. And this example shows what danger arises from malignant and envenomed tongues; for even those who are naturally reasonable, and candid, and modest, if they do not exercise prudence and caution, are easily deceived by unfavorable speeches, and led to adopt false judgments."

Little did the disciples realize until the Lord admonished them, that this anointment was for His own burial. And even then they were not ready to hear of it. The Lord's time table for events is not perceived nor understood until afterwards. I have always loved a German proverb that my professor taught me: "Nacher is jeder klug" (Afterwards, everyone is smarter)! The disciples jumped on the unprincipled complaints of the thief who would have rather had access to the money than for Jesus to have had the anointment. The indictment of Calvin here is terrible to behold: "And though there was a wide difference between Judas and the others because he wickedly held out a plausible cloak for his theft, while the rest were actuated by foolish simplicity &emdash; still we see how their imprudence withdrew them from Christ, and made them the companions of Judas."

At least we may suppose that some time passes between this festal dinner and the Passover meal that follows a few verses later. Probably on the morrow while shopping (since Judas was entrusted with the treasury) he arranged a secret rendezvous with representatives of the Sanhedrin and to see if they were interested in his treason. Thirty pieces of silver would be his just reward, the price for a slave. How much we need to ponder the offense suffered by Judas. Mere money, plausibly for the poor, but like the traitorous federal agent who served the KGB, Judas' allegiance had a price. His justification, he was economically offended with another person's gift to the Lord of all the earth. Envy, pride, guilt all are involved here in the mind of Judas. Poor old Judas, he was kept from stealing a year's wages because someone loved the Lord Jesus Christ.

Several people have asked me if over the years if I minded that they gave a portion of their tithe to other organizations than our own. I may be Scots in blood and inclination, but I do, unlike Judas, recognize that there is a special relationship between the gift, the giver and the Lord's treasury which is as expansive as the ministry of His whole church. The Lord has blessed us with enough and more to do His work. Had Judas not been robbing the church - he may not have felt the apparent loss so keenly.

But what of the others, who allowed the limited vision and understanding of Judas to color their own perceptions? Were they not set up by the devil's own disciple to receive the admonishment of our Lord? "Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me." Let us never be offended with the beauty of the giving of the Lord's own people. After all every precious gift, whether it be the widow's mite or the endowment of fine and rare perfume all serves the same high purpose in the worship of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

At least the alienation of the disciples is only temporary, the next section of this chapter depicts the first communion service administered by our Lord, even as the events unleashed by Judas proceed to their ugly, gory end at the cross! Let us be thankful, like the eleven that our sins of sympathy with the wicked are forgiven and let us never storm out of Christ's own church over such a little issue as that which cost Judas so dearly! Amen.