Mark 14:9, commentary and pictures

Jesus promised with certainty that wherever the gospel is carried to the whole world and to the ends of the earth, her deed in anointing and honoring Him will be told as a lasting memorial preserved until time ends. At Bethany she poured costly precious spikenard ointment upon His head and feet and wiped His feet with her hair, from love and gratitude because He had forgiven her many sins and raised her beloved brother Lazarus to life. While the names of monarchs and conquerors will be forgotten and kingdoms pass from memory, her gift endures with its fragrance to bless hearts and tell of God's abundant love for fallen humanity. Her anointing teaches that Christ is to be honored first with the best of one's substance, given from pardoning love without calculating cost and with regret only that nothing richer could be offered, while still faithfully caring for the poor. Judas called the act wasteful from anger, covetousness and love of money rather than concern for the poor, warning that selfish avarice distorts judgment, poisons spirituality, and can lead to betraying the Lord.

Anointing at Bethany

The saying belongs to the account of Jesus at Bethany, where the raising of Lazarus from death drew visitors and his testimony that Jesus was the Son of God increased public excitement. The woman poured costly precious spikenard ointment on Christ, anointing His head and feet, and wiped His feet with her hair. She acted from love and gratitude because He had forgiven her many sins and had raised her much-loved brother Lazarus to life, so that nothing was too dear to bestow upon Him and the more precious the ointment the better it expressed devotion. She wished to honor Him before His approaching death, though she hoped and believed He would soon be welcomed as king and raised to kingly authority.

She was one whom Christ had lifted from despair and ruin. Though once controlled by demons, she overcame through His strength, learned from Him and served Him, stood by the cross and came to the tomb, and first proclaimed His resurrection. Her story shows the possibilities that redemption and grace open to a fallen person.

Judas called the act wasteful and needless and urged that the ointment might have been sold and given to the poor, but his objection came from anger, covetousness and avarice rather than concern for the poor. He was close, carnal, loved money, was inattentive to the comfort and wants of Jesus, and often appropriated to his own use what was entrusted to him for the poor, and his reaction shows how avarice can distort judgment of an act of devotion. The act exposed the covetous spirit of Judas and annoyed and vexed him by the implied rebuke and defense of her. The saying was a more direct reproof to him than he had before received, and the act was a prophetic anticipation of Christ's death and burial.

Worldwide Memorial Promised

Jesus spoke with certainty, foretelling that the gospel would be preached throughout the whole world and to the ends of the earth. Wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she did in anointing and honoring Jesus will be told as a lasting memorial to her. Her deed is preserved in sacred history until time shall end.

While the names of monarchs and conquerors will be forgotten, and kingdoms and rulers will pass from memory, her deed will endure. Her gift continues with its fragrance to bless hearts. It tells of God's abundant love for fallen humanity, as a lasting memorial of her love and faith.

Her act became an enduring example that has inspired many people to loving service. Her example will prompt countless further deeds of love. She will rejoice when she sees the good her gift produced.

Honoring Christ by Giving

Mary's anointing with costly ointment teaches that Christ is to be honored by giving Him the best of one's substance and possessions. Honoring the cause of Christ must come first, while faithfully caring for the poor, and neither duty need be neglected when God's stewards fulfill their duties.

Those who have received Christ's pardoning love do not calculate the cost of giving to Him, as Judas did when he judged the value of the alabaster ointment. Their offerings flow from gratitude for salvation and love for Christ, and they may regret only that they have not given something richer and more valuable. Judas called the generous dedication of costly ointment wasteful, but his objection came from covetousness rather than concern for the poor. His complaint was made in anger and covetousness, for he was close, carnal and loved money, was inattentive to the comfort and wants of Jesus, and urged that the ointment might have been sold and given to the poor only as an excuse, since he was selfish and often appropriated to his own use what was entrusted to him for the poor.

Selfishness, covetousness and avarice can poison spirituality, lead people to betray their Lord, and abandon generous, godly principles. Mary's generosity was a most cutting rebuke to his covetous disposition. The saying about her memorial was a more direct reproof to Judas than he had before received, and being provoked by it he prepared the way and opened the door for Satan to enter and control his thoughts, though he had seen the mighty works of Jesus, had yielded to the evidence that He was the Messiah, and had been deceived by Satan.