Author: Deji Okegbile

The Gospel of John identified Judas Iscariot as the one questioning the expenditure and theology about Mary’s costly oil to anoint Jesus’ feet (Jn 12). In the Gospel, Jesus links the oil with His upcoming death and preparation. Biblical narrative reminds us of ‘the place of smell from the aromas of burnt offerings to the Old Testament through to the precious perfume in our Gospel reading today.’ Primarily, perfume is to mask the base odour/smell of person/product. Perfume gives person or product an identity and advertisement. The main purpose of the perfume is to keep unpleasant body odours at bay...

Jesus’ short parable about a cursed fig tree speaks of imminent judgment and a call for repentance. The parable was Jesus’ way of saying that the whole nation had become spiritually barren and unfruitful before the Lord (Hosea 9:10; Jer 8:13). Using the words of John Wesley, the whole nation had ‘the form of religion without the power.’ They had and knew the right words, theology and philosophy to say, but their hearts were far from God and His Words. The parable of the cursed fig tree offers both good news and bad news. The good news is that,...