Forms of Opposition

Mark 14 records the story of a woman pouring perfume on Jesus and those present griping in response--"That perfume should have been sold and money given to the poor!". Jesus, instead, highlights the kind of love that is unconsidered, abandoned, and thereby wasteful--the woman has done a beautiful thing, he says. What I find most interesting about this story is that it takes place in the home of Simon the Leper (and in the town called Bethany, which in Hebrew means, "house of the poor and afflicted"). Those following Jesus were more than willing to associate with the down and outers--in a town whose name reflected its plight (perhaps), and in the home of a person known for being, at one point, at least, a leper. But they complained at people not associating with the poor in the ways they thought they should be doing.

What is most interesting about this story is that it is the point of Judas' betrayal. John offers commentary in his replay of the story by saying that Judas left because he was a thief, not because he cared for the poor (John 12:4-6). Mark, however, has only noted the griping of some who were present (Mark 14:4). Whatever Judas' motives were in betrayal, he found (on the surface, at least) solidarity with those who had become hyper-zealous in love, and thereby considered, attached, and extremely practical/efficient in their love.

Two forms of opposition--one secretly selfish, the other explicitly selfless.

I suppose this helps me understand why Jesus lays out the Kingdom of God by telling stories. The Kingdom of God is centered around Jesus, centered around, as Paul says in Rom. 13, the debt of love. Love takes many forms--it tells lots of different stories.