3 While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.
4 Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, "Why this waste of perfume? 5 It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor." And they rebuked her harshly.
6 "Leave her alone," said Jesus. "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. 8 She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. 9 I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."
This same account is given in the gospel of John chapter 12:1-8. John tells us this occurs six days before the Passover. He also gives us the name of the woman who anointed Jesus – Mary, sister to Martha and Lazarus (whom Jesus had raised from the dead). This woman “called” Mary (Luke 10:39 – indicating this was not her given name – Mary meaning bitterness) – was also the one to whom Jesus elevated by her choice of “the one thing needed” when a conflict arose between she and Martha. Scripture does not tell us of her past. It only alludes to her name change. Whatever had happened, she was in bitterness of soul until she had met the Master. This sets the scene for her drama. Filled with love and appreciation, she takes her most treasured possession and “broke the jar” (she was not going back). She poured this precious perfume upon her Lord. He was worth so much more than that to her – He was her everything – like David and Paul, Mary was a “One thing person”. Scripture tells us:David: 4 One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. Psalms 27:4 (NIV) Paul : 12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Phil 3:12-14 (NIV) Mary: 41 "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." Luke 10:41-42 (NIV)
Our Lord digs “One thing” people! They have their priorities straight – God first, everything else is under Him. Perhaps her past taught her that she could not do it any other way – experience can be a great teacher. Whatever the reason, whether learning it in the classroom or on a field trip, God commends the life of “One thing” people. Those present complained of the waste and rebuked her harshly but sweet Jesus came to her defense again. He always comes to the defense of those who stand for Him. Scripture tells us in Isaiah: 17 “no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me," declares the LORD. Isaiah 54:17 (NIV)
He tells them that she had labored to perform an honorable and beautiful work for Him and rebuked them with the Word quoting from Deuteronomy and adding that they could help the poor at anytime: 11 There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land. Deut 15:11 (NIV) He goes on to say a very poignant statement: “She did what she could”. Those words scream out at me reaching to my very core! All of us should seek such a commendation from our Lord! Scripture tells us that God has a plan for our lives:
11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jer 29:11-13 (NIV) 10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Eph 2:10 (NIV)
There is a plan, unfortunately He doesn’t make us do it! It is our choice and oftentimes we are stupid sheep giving little or no thought about God much less to His plan for our lives – “His good, pleasing and perfect will” for our lives as Paul puts it in Romans 12. How very silly of us to choose our plans over the God of all creation’s plans! How very short-sighted of us to live for the temporal (which will be destroyed) and not for the eternal. How very ungrateful of us to show such a lack of love and appreciation and trust in our Lord! May we follow Mary’s commended example of “doing what she could”. This runs the course of smiling and encouraging a stranger to speaking to throngs of humanity – who knows what Jesus has in store for our lives? What I am sure of is this – He takes great delight in His children being faithful in the little, the behind the scenes, the unnoticed. You see, the little thing in the eyes of men that Mary demonstrated was a BIG thing to Jesus. Jesus includes Mary prophetically in His commendation of her. As the gospel goes throughout the world, her actions will be spoken of in memory of her. Nothing done for Jesus is small in His eyes nor does it go unnoticed. It doesn’t matter if anyone else gives us a high five – Jesus does, and that is all that matters!