In his book, Maps of Meaning, Jordan Peterson writes, “Something we cannot see protects us from something we do not understand.”  I cannot agree more.  God knows that we are not as ready as we think we are in knowing something.  He knows that knowing before our time might prove to be more harmful than good.  Hence, what God does is He shields us from seeing something we should not see. 

In his farewell speech, Moses the servant of the Lord said this to the Israelites, “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever that we may do all the words of this law” (Deuteronomy 29:29).  I wonder what Moses was thinking when he said this.  I wonder if he thought about his experience of walking with God, how God led him out of Egypt after living there as a prince of Egypt for 40 years, how he lived and raised his humble family in Midian for 40 years, and how God finally called him to lead His people for the last 40 years of his life, how he, in each phase of his life, had no clue what God had in store for him, and how he only obeyed what was revealed to him.

When Mary heard the call to anoint Jesus Our Lord with her costly perfume, I imagine, she must be confused and perhaps, wondered if she had heard correctly.  That’s a lot of perfume—and money—to give away.  But it was revealed to her, so it belongs to her—for her to obey.  So, she obeyed.  Did she know that what she was about to do would reverberate even till today, 2000 years later?  No.  Did she know that Jesus Our Lord was going to be crucified days later and be buried?  No.  Did she know that perfume was never poured upon the body of Jesus after His death because by the time the other women came to do it on the third day, Jesus had already risen?  No.  She did not know but what she knew, she obeyed.  So, the honor was given to Mary of Bethany, who always sat at Jesus’ feet. 

Pastor Paul