THROW BACK: Holy Wednesday Under Quarantine

We are safe when His blood is applied.

Midway through Holy Week, we have reached an interesting point. We know today we mark the time when Judas was meeting with religious leaders arranging to betray the Lord precisely as the woman poured out the perfume on Him. This year (2020), today also begins the Passover, when Israel was quarantined to avoid the angel of death. The symbolic similarity between COVID19 quarantine and the sequester of the Israelites is interesting. What can we learn from a Passover, an anointing, and remembrance?

Keeping ourselves quarantined right now feels a little limiting. People are losing jobs and some, particularly the elderly, are even losing their lives. When the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt, the final plague was that the first born of everything would die unless the doors were covered by the blood of sacrifice. When the Israelites emerged from that hedge of protection, they witnessed the mourning of the Egyptians. The parallel is fascinating. Under the temporary sacrifice of quarantine, we are safe from the virus. When we emerge, we will better understand just how much impact COVID19 has had on those we know (**or the fraud that was perpetuated...). Spiritually, we are eternally safe under the blood of Jesus. These are things we should ponder. I am asking God to reveal Himself during this trial.

When the woman poured expensive perfume on Jesus, the disciples rebuked her. They told her she should have sold it and donated the money to the poor. It is a noble thing to help the less fortunate. But, Jesus told the disciples to leave her alone and explained the significance of her worship. She was offering Him the blessing of a proper anointing. A lesson I observe here is that we, as Christians, are quick to judge the actions of other Christians. That woman was moved to worship with all that she had. Jesus said she would be remembered and admired. She is. Christ also said that we would always have the opportunity to serve the poor. He was not diminishing ministry to the poor, He was just acknowledging that worship and service is personal. We need to follow the leading of the Spirit in worship. So, if some raise their hands and shout praise and others cry silently in prayer, we are to bless the Lord at all times (Psalm 34:11) in a personal way.

Finally, we are called to remember. We remember the Passover and look for lessons we can apply today. We remember the woman who perfumed Jesus' feet. We remember to bless the Lord at all times. we remember the bread and the wine, the body and the blood. We remember that we are sinners saved by grace when we remember the Cross. So, this Holy Week, let us be careful to prepare for the remembrances yet to come. Stay safe, and May your home be under a hedge of God's protection.

**indicates added in 2025. No one is ever eternally safe unless His Blood has been applied to their lives.