“Prove your faith by sending in a big donation and God will do a miracle for you!” That’s the sort of thing we hear “prosperity gospel” preachers say. And of course we know it’s wrong for Christians to express their faith in such a transactional way, treating the Lord as some sort of cosmic Santa Claus. But it’s even more scandalous for so-called pastors to proclaim such false teachings. For those who are only interested in gaining worldly wealth from preaching are a lot like Judas, who sought to use his relationship with Jesus to make a quick buck.

But while we rightly shun those who would monetize their ministry, the rest of Jesus’ disciples fell into a different error concerning the use of funds given to the church: the belief that the Church’s highest priority should be to ameliorate the various problems that sin has brought into this world. This error is called the “social gospel,” and it urges Christians to get busy feeding, clothing and housing the poor. Some even go as far as Jesus’ disciples did in verse 5, assuming that any church funds not spent on such man-centered endeavors are more or less wasted.

But the unnamed woman who anointed Jesus with expensive perfume shows us yet another way to use our money: to express our gratitude for our salvation by exalting the name of the Lord Jesus. For notice that Jesus did not disapprove of her costly offering. And that’s because, after all, He Himself should be the Church’s highest priority.

Now, this is not to say that we should withhold our help from the poor. But we must remember that the only reason we love them is because Jesus first loved us. And so, just as Jesus considered the preaching of the gospel to be more important than healing people or even casting out demons (Mark 1:38), the Church must keep the main thing the main thing. We must devote the lions’ share of our resources to evangelism and missions, to the proclamation of the Person and Work of Jesus. That’s the best way to glorify Him. And that’s the best way to bless other people too, for after all, Jesus is our greatest need.

Mark 14:3-11 (NASB)

3 And while He was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper, and reclining at the table, there came a woman with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume of pure nard; and she broke the vial and poured it over His head.
4 But some were indignantly remarking to one another, “Why has this perfume been wasted?
5 “For this perfume might have been sold for over three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor.” And they were scolding her.
6 But Jesus said, “Let her alone; why do you bother her? She has done a good deed to Me.
7 “For the poor you always have with you, and whenever you wish, you can do them good; but you do not always have Me.
8 “She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial.
9 “And truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, that also which this woman has done shall be spoken of in memory of her.”
10 And Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went off to the chief priests, in order to betray Him to them.
11 And they were glad when they heard this, and promised to give him money. And he began seeking how to betray Him at an opportune time.