◆“Faith That Gives, Faith That Takes” (Matthew 26:6–16) July 13, 2025

Today, I would like to reflect on God’s Word under the theme: “Faith That Gives, Faith That Takes,” focusing on two individuals—one, the woman who poured perfume on Jesus’ head, and the other, Judas Iscariot. Both, in their own ways, looked up to Jesus and were counted among His disciples. Yet, the nature of their faith was fundamentally opposite.

Let us begin with the woman who anointed Jesus. According to John 12:3, she was Mary, and the perfume she used was a very expensive nard—about one litra, or roughly 300 grams. If you look online today, you’ll find many products named “nard oil.”

In those days, one gram of this perfume was worth about one denarius, equivalent to a day’s wage. So, 300 grams would have equaled 300 days’ wages—about three million yen in today’s terms. This reminds me of when Jesus told His disciples to feed the 5,000, and they responded, “Even 200 denarii wouldn’t be enough.” That was already a large sum—and this perfume was worth even more.

For a woman at that time, such a sum would have been a true fortune—perhaps the only property she could rely on in a crisis. Some say she may have bought it little by little to prepare for an emergency or after the death of a husband. Yet she poured it all, without hesitation, on Jesus’ head.

Mark 14:8–9 tells us that Mary poured the perfume out of deep love, reverence, and faith—recognizing Jesus as the Messiah, King, and Prophet. But Jesus Himself said, “She has prepared Me for burial.” Referring to the tradition of applying myrrh to the dead, He was pointing to His own coming death.

Why was she able to give something so valuable—something she could depend on as her last resort? It was because she believed that Jesus had already given her something far greater.

We don’t know much about her life up to that point. People often confuse her with Mary Magdalene, who anointed Jesus’ feet and had seven demons cast out, but the Gospel makes no such reference to the Mary of Bethany.

Regardless of who she was, what we know for sure is that she loved and appreciated Jesus so deeply that she gave Him something of extraordinary value. She recognized that Jesus had been sent by God the Father for her salvation, and that He was the One who could fully meet all her needs.

In Matthew 6:33, Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Mary may not have heard that sermon firsthand, but it’s likely she heard something similar and believed it with all her heart.

She had first received—grace, salvation, guidance, love, and compassion. And recognizing that the One who gave these gifts was God incarnate, the all-knowing and all-powerful Lord, she responded by giving back the nard, which was probably her most precious possession after her own life.

Yet, her act was not praised. The disciples were indignant and criticized her. In Matthew 26:8, they say, “Why this waste? This could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.”

But John’s Gospel reveals that it was Judas who said this, not out of concern for the poor, but because he wanted to take a cut from the proceeds. They looked at Mary’s act in monetary terms. That is a worldly way of thinking.

We too may fall into similar thinking. “Why go to church on Sundays when I’m so busy?” “Even if I go, I don’t always get something out of it.” This is like measuring worship based on what we gain from it—as if evaluating it in monetary terms.

Sometimes people say things like, “I felt blessed,” or “I found a place where I belong.” These are not bad things in themselves. But if that’s all we seek, we risk reducing the value of the church and worship to something transactional, something measurable.

Jesus, however, said, “Do not trouble this woman.” Mary may have been flustered, unsure of how to respond to the disciples’ harsh words. But Jesus saw her act as an expression of the highest devotion—true worship. Her faith was a giving faith.

Now, let’s turn to Judas Iscariot. As mentioned earlier, his motivation for following Jesus was entirely different. Yes, he had been moved by Jesus. He had hopes, even dreams. But they were his dreams.

He dreamed of Jesus becoming a political leader, liberating the Jews from Roman rule—a messiah in a worldly sense. In other words, Judas saw Jesus not as Lord to follow, but as a means to achieve his own goals. That is not faith.

I say it’s “not faith,” but in reality, many people today call that kind of thinking “faith.” It’s the belief in a god who grants blessings—help with romance, success in business, healing from illness. Some even say certain shrines are better for specific ailments, and they visit based on personal need.

This is called benefit-driven faith. Judas had this kind of belief. So when he realized that Jesus was not going to become a political savior, but rather a bearer of the gospel—one who forgives sin and restores us to God—his disappointment grew. And perhaps that disappointment turned into resentment.

In verse 14 it says, “Then,” meaning after Jesus praised Mary’s faith. That was the final straw for Judas. “This is pointless,” he thought. And so he went to the chief priests—those who were plotting Jesus’ death—and made a deal.

Verse 15: “What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him over to you?”
While Mary gave a whole litra of perfume worth 300 denarii, Judas says, “How much will you give me?” These words reveal his decision—he had given up on Jesus completely.

As you know, his betrayal led to Jesus’ arrest, trial, and crucifixion. And Judas, overwhelmed with guilt, ultimately took his own life.

We don’t hear what happened to Mary afterward. But we can imagine. When Jesus died on the cross, she likely remembered His words: “She has prepared Me for burial.” And she must have realized deeply that His death was a substitutionary atonement for her sins.

Whether or not she encountered the risen Christ, we do not know. But one thing is clear: she lived out a faith that gave, a faith that followed.

The contrast between the two is striking. Both looked up to Jesus. But one saw Him as “my Lord,” while the other saw Him as “a tool for my lordship.”

Which are we?

May we follow in the footsteps of Mary and live with a faith that gives.

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Sermon script modified based on proofreading and translation with ChatGPT.