Two Choices, Two Legacies: The Woman with the Alabaster Jar and Judas

One of my intentions for the first half of 2026 is to read through the New Testament. Recently, I finished the Book of Mark, and since then I cannot stop thinking about two people whose choices would echo through all of history. Jesus promised they would be remembered wherever the gospel is preached—and they are. One woman chose to extravagantly bless Jesus. One man chose to betray Him. I keep returning to their stories: the woman with the alabaster jar of perfume and Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples who walked beside Jesus throughout His ministry. Both faced an opportunity. Both made a choice. And the weight of those choices shapes their legacies to this day—legacies that challenge us with the same choice.

Two Choices, Two Legacies

I'm always in awe of how the stories in scripture are organized with such intentionality and purpose to teach and guide us. In Mark 14, we witness one of the most striking contrasts in all of Scripture. We read in Mark 14:3, that Jesus is reclining at a table at the home of Simon the Leper, and a woman enters with an alabaster jar of expensive perfume made of pure nard—worth a year's wages—she breaks it open, pouring it over Jesus's head, an act of selfless loving worship.

And then, in the very next verse, Mark 14:10, we read: "Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So, he watched for an opportunity to hand him over" (Mark 14:10-11).

Two people. Two choices. Two opportunities. Two legacies.

The Woman: Choosing Blessing

Both the woman and Judas seized an opportunity. The woman took the opportunity go to Simon the Leper's home with the alabaster jar. A jar that probably was worth an entire year's wages—her security, her savings, perhaps her most valuable earthly possession—and broke it open for Jesus. She didn't calculate the cost nor measure out a reasonable portion; she poured it all unto Him.

In Mark 14:3, a woman enters Simon the Leper's home with an alabaster jar of expensive perfume made of pure nard—worth an entire year's wages, her security, her savings, perhaps her most valuable earthly possession—and she breaks it open for Jesus. She didn't calculate the cost nor measure out a reasonable portion; she poured it all unto Him. She was humbled before Jesus, breaking herself open just as much as she broke that alabaster jar open. She submitted and worshipped Jesus not only through a physical gesture but a transformative spiritual offering of complete submission to Him. She simply poured out everything she had in an act of extravagant love.

Then we come to Judas' choice and opportunity. Judas went to the chief priests to betray Jesus. When we look at Judas' background, we know that Jesus chose Judas Iscariot to be one of the 12 disciples. Think about this for a moment. In Matthew 10:1 we are told, "And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction."

Judas's story is particularly sobering because of how close he was to Jesus. He didn't just hear about Jesus from a distance or follow Him casually - he was in the inner circle. He sat at meals with Jesus. He heard private teachings that the crowds never heard. He witnessed miracles up close. He was sent out with authority to heal and cast out demons in Jesus's name. And yet, all of that proximity, all of that access, all of those experiences didn't protect his heart from turning away. This teaches us that spiritual transformation isn't automatic just because we're in the right places, hearing the right things, or even doing ministry. It's possible to be physically close to Jesus while our hearts drift far away.

Both Judas and the woman with the alabaster jar experienced transformation—but in opposite directions. Her heart moved toward the light; his heart moved into darkness. Her transformation drew her closer to Christ; his transformation led him to betray Christ. Before we judge Judas too harshly, we must acknowledge a difficult truth: the same spiritual drift that destroyed him can happen to any of us when we neglect the condition of our hearts.

John 13:2 gives us some hints about the state of Judas' heart: 'During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him.' The heart of Judas had been pierced by Satan, becoming hardened and diseased. Instead of being in alignment with Jesus, it was bent toward sin, disobedience, temptation and greed. We can never underestimate how the condition of our heart can either bring us closer to Christ or lead us away from Him. There is no shortage of scriptures that emphasize the importance of the posture of our heart."

The Heart of the Matter

These two people—the worshiping woman and the betraying disciple—reveal a fundamental spiritual truth: the condition of our heart determines our choices, and our choices determine our legacy.

Scripture consistently emphasizes the critical importance of our heart's posture:

• Proverbs 4:23: "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it."

• Proverbs 27:19: "As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart."

• Psalm 51:10: "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."

• Matthew 6:21: "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

From these verses, God reveals that we must:

• Guard our heart with utmost importance

• Recognize that our actions flow from our heart

• Understand that our life reflects our heart

• Pray continually for a pure heart

• Know that a pure heart renews a firm, unwavering spirit

• Examine what we treasure, because that's where our heart is aligned

How diseased and unhealthy Judas's heart must have been to betray Jesus. His actions reflected the impure thoughts, desires and temptations that seeped into his unguarded heart. No longer was his weakened spirit able to withstand the evil one; instead his life and spirit became a reflection of where his treasure lay, which was no longer with Jesus and the Kingdom of God, but with the will of evil men.

In contrast, the woman's heart was with Jesus. Her heart was now in alignment with Christ. She did not store up her treasures on earth, but instead she did what would have an eternal impact. Her actions were criticized and viewed as wasteful and foolish, but none of that matter because she was focused on the Lord and not man.

We know the remorse that Judas felt, so much so that he killed himself. He killed his physical self because his spiritual self couldn't live with the betrayal he had carried out. As Jesus said, woe to the one who betrays the Son of Man for it would be better if he were not born. Judas could not live with the weight of his sin—yet Peter, who also betrayed Jesus by denying Him three times, found a different path. Both men were devastated by their actions. Both wept over their betrayal. The difference? Peter ran to Jesus with his brokenness; Judas ran from Jesus in his shame. One found redemption; the other found only despair. Remorse is not the same as repentance. Feeling sorry for our sin is not the same as bringing it to the feet of Jesus and receiving His forgiveness. Judas felt the weight of his sin but couldn't believe in the weight of God's grace

It is very easy to judge Judas, but how often have we turned from the Lord or have had a hardened heart? Judas is a reminder for us to examine our hearts, to turn our ear towards the truth and to remember that when we are led astray by the temptations of treasures on earth there can be devastating implications on our eternal life and our legacy.

The posture of the woman's heart was toward the Lord. She humbled herself, worshipped Him and surrendered to Jesus completely. Her treasure lay in Christ. Through her extravagant act of worship, she demonstrated a heart fully alive in Christ, and her legacy was very different from where she may have begun. She ended well.

Two Legacies: How We Will Be Remembered

Jesus's prophecy about the woman has come true. Two thousand years later, we're still talking about her. In some gospel accounts, we don't even know her name, yet her deed is known worldwide. Her legacy is one of beauty, sacrifice, and wholehearted devotion.

Judas is also remembered wherever the gospel is preached. His name has become synonymous with betrayal itself. To call someone "a Judas" is to label them a traitor. His legacy is one of greed, hardness of heart, and the tragic waste of proximity to Jesus without true devotion.

Both are spoken of. Both are remembered. But oh, how different their legacies are.

Which Will You Choose?

We all face moments when we must choose between blessing and betrayal—perhaps not as dramatically as these two, but just as consequentially. Will we pour out our treasure for Jesus, or will we trade Him for something the world values? Will we risk criticism for extravagant worship, or will we calculate what's reasonable and hold back? Will we guard our hearts against the subtle compromises that harden us over time?

The woman teaches us that choosing blessing often means choosing what others call waste. It means breaking ourselves open and giving when it costs us everything. But it also means hearing Jesus say, "She has done a beautiful thing. She did what she could."

Judas warns us that betrayal doesn't happen in a moment—it happens in a heart that has slowly turned away. It happens when we stop guarding what we treasure. It happens when we allow cracks to form in our foundation and fail to seek the pure heart that only God can create in us.

The good news is that we can choose. Every day, in small moments and large ones, we can align our hearts with worship or turn them toward worldly gain. We can create a legacy of blessing or one of betrayal.

Guard your heart. Examine your treasure. Give extravagant love. Choose repentance. Accept God's grace.

Because how we choose today determines how we'll be remembered tomorrow—and what matters most is how Jesus will remember us when we stand before Him.