PRE-HOLY WEEK INTRUCTORY MESSAGE: ANOINTED

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with Him. Then Mary took about a pint 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.

But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray Him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He 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.

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

John 12:1-8

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As we get set to enter Holy Week and walk with Jesus through His final week, culminating with His death and then resurrection, I am taking a pause from our study of Hebrews to do a special series of messages. We will return to finish the final chapter of Hebrews after Easter.

Today, we begin with the day before what is known as the Triumphal Entry as Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey to great fanfare. This would have been Saturday and as we read in the following passage, six days before Jesus would observe His last Passover with His disciples. Look at this passage from the Gospel of John:

Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with Him. Then Mary took about a pint 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.

But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray Him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He 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.

“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of My burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have Me.” John 12:1-8

The road into Jerusalem passed first through Bethany and then the village of Bethphage where Jesus will get the donkey he will ride into Jerusalem on. More on that tomorrow but for today, we find Him stopping in Bethany at the home of His good friend Lazarus for a dinner held in His honor, their first get together after Jesus had resurrected him from the dead. It shouldn’t get lost for us that Jesus Himself would experience His own resurrection in a just over a week.

Now, we don’t know exactly how many people were present at this gathering but we know Lazarus and the disciples were there along with Lazarus’ sisters, Martha and Mary. Of little surprise, Martha was doing the serving. It was her modus operandi as you may remember the first documented visit by Jesus was punctuated by her being upset over Mary not helping tend to the guests. In response to her request, Jesus rebuked Martha saying that Mary had chosen the better thing to do, sitting at His feet and listening to His teaching (Luke 10:38-42).

Fast forward to this Saturday before Jesus entered Jerusalem and we find Mary once again treating Jesus with the greatest respect and honor. This time however she wasn’t simply sitting near Jesus feet to merely listen. Rather, the scriptures tell us that she “took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume”, and “poured it on Jesus’ feet” before wiping “His feet with her hair”.

Immediately, “the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume”, a beautiful sensory indicator of the beautiful, blessed action she had carried out.

Unfortunately, not everyone saw Mary’s action as a thing of beauty. For we read where Lazarus gets worked up over what happened and decides to openly object saying:

“Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.”

Having spent the better part of three years with Jesus, you would think Judas would have learned something and allowed his heart to be shaped by His Master but when it came to this particular disciple, it was all about him. He didn’t care about the poor or that Jesus was being treated in such an honorable way. Rather, we see in our passage where he only was interested in losing the opportunity to sell the nard for a steep price before filling the money bag so he could steal more from his Savior and fellow disciples.

Two people here, Mary and Judas. One showed a spirit of self sacrifice and selflessness and the other, greed and selfishness.

Which was better?

Well, like that previous time in Bethany, Jesus gives the verdict as He responds to Judas, saying:

“Leave her alone! It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of My burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have Me.”

For Mary, the cost of the perfume was not more than the greatness of her Lord. He was worth surrendering anything the world might consider of value for indeed, soon He would give up Himself so to bear the sin of the world and save anyone who would simply place their belief in Him.

Mary anointed Jesus with the expensive nard. We can anoint and honor Him with the best we have to give as well. As we enter into Holy Week, I pray you will join me in recommitting yourself to do just that.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.