Discretion

So I had an epiphany of sorts today.  I thought back on the Bible story where Mary anointed Jesus' feet with oil and dried it with her hair.  There's an aside to Judas and how he didn't really care about the poor, but he was a thief.  I thought... wait a minute... Jesus knew the whole time his thoughts and knew he'd eventually betray him and he never said anything to him the whole time.  THAT'S discretion.  Discretion isn't my strong suit.  I like to lay all my cards on the table... but sometimes you need to have discretion and stay silent.  I'm working on being wise enough to discern between the two.

John 12

Jesus Anointed at Bethany

1Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3Then Mary took about a pint^a of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

4But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5“Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.^b” 6He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

7“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “[It was intended] that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”