Six days before Passover Jesus visited His friends in
Bethany—Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, the man raised from the dead not too long
ago.
Why did Jesus go to Bethany and visit with these three followers?
The Son of God knew what lay ahead for Him. Perhaps He needed some rest and refreshment before the
struggle He faced.
Mary and Martha were probably wrapped in a flurry of
preparations for the sacred event of Passover. Martha again serves. She busies
herself with what she does best.
This doesn’t mean Martha’s sister didn’t help, but here we see Mary doing what Jesus commended her for in Luke 10:42. On that occasion Jesus ministered to her while she sat at His feet and listened to words of wisdom. This time it is Mary who ministers to Jesus.
Why did Mary anoint Jesus’
feet with perfume?
Mary picked up an alabaster jar filled with nearly a
liter of extremely rare and costly perfume—the purest extract of nard, and she
anointed Jesus’ feet. Then she wiped them dry with her long hair. And the
fragrance of the costly oil filled the house. (John 12:3 TPT)
The Scripture tells us the next day Jesus entered Jerusalem
riding on a colt. Even though Mary’s perfume was poured on Jesus’ feet, the
aroma of her gift probably stayed with Him for a while, maybe even days because
people in biblical times didn’t bathe every day. The edges of His robe surely
absorbed some of the oil.
Did every step He took leave behind an aroma of her worship?
Did the perfume from an earthly source remind the Son of His
commitment to His Father’s will?
Did Mary’s gift encourage Christ when others turned against
Him?
Thayer’s Greek Lexicon states this ointment was derived from
a plant in India that exuded a pleasant aroma. The fact that the oil came from
so far away would also add to the value and cost.[1]
Why did Mary anoint Jesus’ feet with perfume?
Mary anointed
Jesus with her best because of her devotion to Him. She had listened to her
Master’s teachings and gleaned from His wisdom. Her brother was restored to
life. She expressed her love to Christ by giving Him the best possession she
had.
Jesus’ willingness to be crucified on our behalf is the
greatest gift He gave to us. His blood redeemed us from the stench of sin. When
we allow Him to live within us our souls can produce an aroma that reminds us and
others of His passionate love.
As the Savior gave to us, we can follow Mary’s example and
give back to Him. We obtain this adoration by spending time in worship gaining
knowledge of the Lord. This is how Mary’s love for her Master grew.
For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who
are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma
of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life.
And who is sufficient for these things? (2 Corinthians 2:15-16 NKJV)
On this Palm Sunday may we contemplate the battle Jesus endured
during this week before crucifixion. Physical suffering was ahead of Him but He
also had to deal with the mental and emotional anguish of bearing the sins of
the entire world.
No other love can compare to this sacrifice. How can we follow
Mary’s act of worship and devotion to Jesus?
We anoint Him with our reverence and receipt of His offering.
We can proclaim, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the
Lord!”
Join the conversation and share your thoughts.
[1]
"G3487 - nardos - Strong's Greek Lexicon (kjv)." Blue Letter Bible.
Accessed 27 Mar, 2023.
https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g3487/kjv/tr/0-1/
Ouch! Sometimes it's the difficult questions that cause us to grow the most. Thank you for prompting me to ask myself that question this morning Ms. Barbara. "Do I give God my best?" All the time? If I'm honest with myself, that answer is no. I walk into church absent-minded, distracted by the thousand and one things I have to get done before Monday. I carry a grudge or perceived slight with me that allows the foul smell of unforgiveness to permeate my soul. When the world creeps above my ankles (we all have to get some on us as we walk through this world), I realize I need more than "feet washing" but "soul-cleansing" so that I can once again offer my best to my Savior and Lord. What a thought-provoking post this morning ma'am. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteWe can all be honest with ourselves and know there are times we don't give our best to the Master. But we can also live in the knowledge of His forgiveness and grace. Thanks for sharing your inspiring thoughts, J.D.. Blessings!
DeleteHow timely, Barb! I’ve been meditating on this passage for the last three days. Jesus’s disciples were fearful of Him returning to Judea after he heard Lazarus had died, exclaiming, “It was a short time ago the people were going to stone you!”
ReplyDeleteJesus replied, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight in every day? You can go through a day without the fear of stumbling when you walk in the One who give light to the world. But you will stumble when the light is not in you, for you’ll be walking in the dark.” As we follow Christ, may we walk close to him, even as close as his shadow. There fear is dispelled by the Light and we find ourselves strengthened by his presence.
I love your thought that we need to walk as close as His shadow. Fear is dispelled by the Light. Thanks for sharing. Blessings!
DeleteI think we remember and honor God's greatest gift of love to us by loving others as Jesus loves. If we give the very best of ourselves we still fall short of His love, but striving to share the gift of love with others is a daily reminder for us (and those we love) of Christ's love for us. Thank you for this inspiring message, Barbara.
ReplyDeleteKatherine, you shared such an enlightened statement. We do honor God's greatest gift by loving others like Jesus does. Thanks so much for sharing. Blessings!
DeleteThis story of Mary bathing the feet of Jesus in expensive perfume is one of the more beautiful accounts in the Bible. Aromas invoke special emotions as we can all attest to so this makes Mary's act even more meaningful. I strive to give God my best every day but on any given day my "best" is not always at the standard I desire. But God loves me and accepts me anyway and for that I'm blessed and grateful.
ReplyDeleteCandyce, you shared the heart of the gospel when you said, "But God loves me and accepts me anyway." This is why He suffered and died. To love us anyway even in our faults. Thanks for sharing. Blessings!
DeleteGreat message Barbara. I think we are called to have this kind of “lavish” love for Christ and He should be our treasure.
ReplyDeleteYes, Yvonne, we are called to lavish our love on Christ and abide in Him. Thanks so much for sharing. Blessings!
DeleteBarbara, your title question grabbed me because the idea of lavishing perfume on someone's feet and then drying them with my hair is so foreign to our culture. Thanks for taking the time to explore the nuances of Mary's worship. I love how you point out the more we know Jesus, the more we want to worship extravagantly. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThis action is foreign to our culture, as you pointed out, so this may make it difficult for us to perceive the heartfelt worship Mary gave to Jesus. But the more we abide in Him, hopefully we can grow in this same closeness she had with the Savior. Thanks for sharing, Annie. Blessings!
DeleteI really appreciated your insights about why Mary anointed Jesus' feet. May you and yuor family have blessed Easter!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Kathy, for sharing, Blessings!
DeleteThis is one of my favorite stories in the Bible. The questions you offer really have me thinking. I have always pictured the scene of when she anointed him but never about the smell after. I love this.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jen, for sharing. Blessings!
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