(Mat) 26:1-2, 7-9, 11-12 CJB “When Yeshua had finished speaking, he said to his talmidim, “As you know, Pesach is two days away, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be nailed to the execution-stake.” A woman who had an alabaster jar filled with very expensive perfume approached Yeshua while he was eating and began pouring it on his head. When the talmidim saw it, they became very angry. “Why this waste?” they asked. “This could have been sold for a lot of money and given to the poor.” The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. She poured this perfume on me to prepare my body for burial.”

Loving God First is the defining priority of every disciple. Jesus reminds us that while loving our neighbor is essential, it must never replace our highest calling—to worship, honor, and obey God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Just two days before His crucifixion, Jesus plainly told His disciples that He would soon be handed over to die. The King of glory, the promised Messiah, the Savior of the world stood before them preparing to accomplish redemption.

Yet instead of being consumed with Him, the disciples became consumed with a budget.

A woman entered carrying an alabaster jar filled with perfume worth nearly a year’s wages and poured it upon Jesus. Rather than seeing extravagant worship, the disciples saw extravagant waste.

They asked, “Why this waste? This could have been sold and given to the poor.”

Jesus disagreed.

He defended the woman because she rightly understood something the disciples had forgotten:

There is no greater use of our time, treasure, or talent than worshiping Christ.

Loving God First Produces Rightly Ordered Love

Jesus was not minimizing compassion for the poor. Throughout His ministry He demonstrated extraordinary mercy toward the needy.

Instead, He was correcting disordered priorities.

The first commandment has always been greater than the second.

We cannot faithfully love our neighbor while neglecting the God who commands us to love our neighbor.

Service becomes biblical only when it flows from worship.

The woman loved Jesus lavishly because she recognized His supreme worth. Her worship prepared Him for burial, even when the disciples failed to grasp the significance of what was about to happen.

Too often we reverse the order.

• We become busy serving people while neglecting communion with Christ.
• We seek the approval of others before seeking the pleasure of God.
• We become known for humanitarian efforts while remaining quiet about the Savior who motivates them.

Christianity never calls us merely to do good.

It calls us to glorify God.

Worship Before Service

Peter illustrates this danger later in the same chapter.

He boldly promised unwavering loyalty to Jesus.

Hours later, fearing people more than God, he denied Christ three times.

His greatest failure did not begin around the fire.

It began when his devotion to Christ became secondary to the opinions of men.

The same temptation confronts us today.

We can become so occupied helping people that we fail to publicly worship Christ.

We can feed the hungry, clothe the poor, support worthy causes, and still fail to exalt Jesus if our good works are disconnected from open allegiance to Him.

The world performs humanitarian acts.

Christians proclaim Christ through humanitarian acts.

Our compassion is not merely kindness.

It is a testimony that God loved sinners first.

Lavish Worship Brings Glory to God

The woman’s perfume represented tremendous sacrifice.

She poured out what many considered unreasonable because she understood the incomparable value of Jesus.

That raises an important question.

How extravagant is our worship?

Do we give God the leftovers of our schedules?

Do we offer Him spare change while investing generously everywhere else?

Do we gladly spend ourselves advancing His kingdom, or only when it is convenient?

Every Christian should regularly examine whether his greatest investment is in God’s glory or merely in earthly causes.

Good works matter.

But they must never replace wholehearted worship.

Our service should always direct attention upward to Christ, not inward to ourselves.

Biblically ordered love moves in this direction:

• First, upward in worship and glory to God.
• Second, outward to Christ’s people, His Church.
• Third, outward to a broken world in compassionate witness.

When those priorities remain intact, every act of mercy becomes an opportunity to declare the greatness of Jesus Christ.

Because the ultimate goal is never simply helping people.

The ultimate goal is that people glorify God.

Run Today’s Play

Ask, is my service to others making Jesus more visible, or is it simply making me look compassionate?

Spend intentional time worshiping Christ before beginning your work. Thank Him specifically for His cross, His resurrection, and His reign.

Look for one opportunity to serve someone today, but make sure your kindness clearly points them to Jesus rather than merely to yourself.

Never allow the second commandment to eclipse the first.

Love your neighbor deeply.

But love your Savior first, most, and lavishly.