What does Matthew 26:9 reveal about the disciples' understanding of Jesus' mission? Canonical Text and Proximate Setting Matthew 26:9 : “For this perfume could have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.” The saying sits inside 26:6-13, at the house of Simon the leper in Bethany, two days before Passover. A woman pours an alabaster jar of very expensive oil on Jesus’ head (v. 7). All the disciples (plural in Matthew) object (v. 8), crystallizing in v. 9. Economic Optics vs. Redemptive Optics The disciples evaluate the act with utilitarian calculus—liquidate assets, fund charity. Their comment reveals that, even after three Passion predictions (16:21; 17:22-23; 20:18-19), they still frame Jesus’ ministry primarily in pragmatic, philanthropic terms rather than in terms of His approaching sacrificial death. Charity to the poor was admirable (Deuteronomy 15:11), yet Jesus declares the anointing “a beautiful work” preparing Him for burial (26:10-12). The divergence exposes their incomplete grasp of a messianic mission centered on atonement, not merely social reform. First-Century Jewish Messianic Expectations Qumran fragments (4Q521) and Psalms of Solomon 17 depict a conquering or justice-dispensing Messiah. Many Galileans, disciples included, expected national restoration and material relief (Acts 1:6). Hence, a sizeable donation to the poor fit their paradigm; a costly burial preparation for a living Messiah did not. Progressive Revelation and Pedagogical Tension Matthew preserves a pattern: (1) prediction, (2) misunderstanding, (3) corrective teaching (cf. 16:21-23; 17:24-27; 20:20-28). The Bethany scene is the final iteration. The anointing forces the disciples to confront impending death, a cognitive dissonance Luke later records they “did not understand” (Luke 18:34). Stewardship, Worship, and the Kingdom Ethic The narrative contrasts two good actions—almsgiving and extravagant worship—highlighting priority. Jesus affirms care for the poor (26:11 cites Deuteronomy 15:11) yet teaches that adoration of His person, especially in preparation for the cross, holds preeminence. The disciples needed to subordinate even righteous social concerns to Christ-centered devotion. Practical Ramifications for Contemporary Disciples 1. Evaluate ministry priorities through Christ’s redemptive lens. 2. Recognize that humanitarian impulses, while biblical, cannot eclipse worship of the crucified and risen Lord. 3. Guard against collective misperception by constant reference to Scriptural revelation. Conclusion Matthew 26:9 exposes the disciples’ lingering misconception: they equated Messiahship with benevolent resource management rather than self-sacrificial atonement. The verse thus illuminates the gap between human expectation and divine mission, a gap finally closed for the disciples only on the far side of the empty tomb. |
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