The decoy is as old as the world. To catch a game, set a lure. Satan wanted to catch Adam and Eve and the serpent was the trap. Jacob had cheated his brother Esau and to make peace he sent him everything and everyone except himself. God, too, had the leaders believe that Jesus was a Galilean. They did not inquire where He was born. It was a necessary decoy to secure our redemption. The Bible has many instances where and when decoys were used to teach lessons to God's people. Are we due for such a lesson? I believe we are. The Bible tells us that God loves us very much and He has send us messengers to warn us of decoys that keep us from falling into danger (Mt.24: 5,11).

I, too, was called Mary. Unlike all the other women who went to meet Jesus, Jesus came to my home. I offered Him my hospitality, my banquet room, my utensils for the Holy Passover Supper. He and His followers ate my bread and drank my wine on His final stay in Jerusalem. If you ever wondered why Jesus loved the Garden of Gethsemane, also known as the Olive Grove? Think of me, the wealthy lady in Jerusalem, who may have made it all possible. In my day, there were no public parks or public Olive Groves.