In the middle of our life choices there are defining events

Mary anointing Jesus and Judas betrayed Jesus. (John 6:71; 12:1-8; 13:2; 26; 29; 18:1-11; Matthew 26:14-16; 27:3-10; Luke 10:38-42; 22:3)

Mary was the disciple who caught the vision, gave a great gift, and is remembered as a part of the Gospel story

When there was an opportunity Mary listened intently to Jesus’ teaching.

As the time of his death approached, she spent almost a year’s salary for a laborer to buy ointment that she would use as a gift to Jesus.

She gave the gift in a special way.  She anointed his feet and used her hair to wipe away the filth of the road he had walked on as he came to a special meal at her home.

She publicly humbled herself to generously serve her Savior.

Some criticized her gesture as extravagant but her sacrifice became part of the Gospel story.  Her gift was part of Jesus’s preparation for his atoning sacrifice.

She used a large amount of money as a special timely gift to God.

Judas was the disciple who never caught the vision, stole money, sold the Savior, killed himself, and it remembered as the great traitor

Judas sold Jesus as part of a plot with the religious leaders who hated him. He became a tool of Satan in the Gospel drama.

When he realized what he had done he tried his own solution to the evil.  He threw the money at the religious leaders.  He found no cleansing in his self atonement and killed himself.

Choices

Have there been small choices in your life that led to a place where you caught yourself going down a wrong path?

Have there been defining choices in your life that have shaped your pilgrimage since that day?

In the words of a former colleague, have you thrown any balls that you’d like to have back?