Grace and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ! Once again, another lesson from my friend at church.
"Extravagant Giving"
"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.
Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, 'Why this waste
of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and
the money given to the poor.' And they rebuked her harshly.
'Leave
her alone,' said Jesus. 'Why are you bothering her? She has done a
beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you
can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could.
She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. 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.' "
Mark 14:3-9 [emphasis added]
It was an extravagant gift. Mary "did what she could" (verse 8), and what she did was huge.
It was a costly gift. The
alabaster jar or flask was costly in and of itself. Often this type of
decanter was used as a decorative piece in the homes of the wealthy.
The contents, nard, was even more priceless. Mary's gift was worth more
than a year's wages. A single denarius was thought to be a day's wages
for the common laborer of the day, and the perfume and its container
were worth at least 300 denarii. It was a present for a king. For Mary,
it was an act of faith in the Lord Jesus, the Christ. She had made Him
her King.[ii]
It was a selfless gift.
We see no record of hesitation in the giving of the gift. No thoughts
of, "Can I afford this? What will my bank account look like? How will I
pay my bills?" No, not one hint of reluctance in the giving. Just love
for her King.
It was given from a right heart.
Mary broke the jar and poured it over Jesus. Once a flask of this type
was broken, it could not be reused. Its long, slender neck was meant to
be broken. It was the only way to get the nard out. The breaking of the
jar points to the brokenness of Mary's heart. As she offered this gift,
she gave it to the Lord.
Mary sat at Jesus' feet and
learned from Him in the past. In Luke 10:38-42, we see that she chose
to sit and listen to Jesus and His teaching while her sister, Martha
scurried about. Mary fed on the words of Jesus. Her sensitive heart was
being prepared for this moment. She was grateful to her Lord as she
remembered how Jesus miraculously had raised her brother, Lazarus, from
the dead (John 11: 42-44). Mary was grateful for Jesus' forgiveness and
could never get enough of Jesus' teaching or presence. Mary worshiped
Jesus enough to believe the prophecy concerning His impending death.
The total devotion of Mary's broken heart was given as a burial
anointing. As men were preparing to put Jesus to death, Mary was
honoring Him and loving Him before His death. "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." Psalm 51:17. Mary's sacrificial gift came from such a heart.
Mary didn't let others' opinion of her stand in the way.
Mary didn't care what others thought. Though it was probably socially
inappropriate to lavishly anoint Jesus in this home setting, she didn't
hesitate to make her devotion and love known to Jesus, as others
watched. No one was there to support her actions; but her gift was
appreciated by our Lord. Perhaps Jesus was most pleased with the
devotion of Mary's heart, and with the attitude she had in presenting
it. Jesus called her gift a "beautiful thing" when the others began to
ridicule her for wasting such a valuable asset. Love and devotion were
the gifts that Jesus most appreciated.
Mary was totally abandoned to her Savior.
[iii]
She was carried away for Jesus. It wasn't out of duty or because there
was anything in it beyond love for Him. Mary's gift was touching and
moving to the Lord. The men in these verses thought it was a waste of
good money to pour out the perfume. It could have been used for
"better" purposes, they said. Sometimes we wonder if our time and
sacrifice are worth the effort. Sometimes we may consider prayer time,
Bible reading, time spent alone with Jesus, a "waste." We could be
doing things for others, even the poor. But Jesus sees. He is pleased
with our whole-hearted devotion. Nothing we give to Jesus with love and devotion to Him is ever a waste.
The Challenge:
How extravagant is my giving to the Lord Jesus?
Do
I give without reservation, seeking to love the Lord my God with all my
heart, all my soul, all my mind and all my strength? (Mark 12:30)
Do I give sacrificially? When was the last time I gave to my King, as Mary did?
Have I been "carried away," to do something for God, out of pure love and devotion to Him?
What
steps can I take this week to give of my time, talents, and treasures
to please only my Lord? What would a gift like Mary's look like in my
own life?
Higgins, Robert, "The Anointing At Bethany," Hope Baptist Church, Madison, Ohio.
[ii] Henry, Matthew, Commentary on the New Testament.
[iii] Chambers, Oswald, My Utmost for His Highest, Barbour and Company: February 21, 1963. "Have You Ever Been Carried Away for Him?"