When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me.
At the feast at Simon's house in Bethany shortly before Passover in the closing days of his ministry, Jesus overheard the indignant charge that the very precious ointment was waste and should have been sold for the poor, and he stopped the harsh criticism and relieved her distress by asking why they troubled the woman. He declared her act a good work upon him because he looked at the motive prompting the deed, valuing her sincere love and devotion more than the ointment's monetary value even though the disciples did not understand it. Her pouring of a box of spikenard worth three hundred pence on his head and feet expressed gratitude for his compassion in forgiving her many sins and transforming her from sin to purity, and love for his mercy in raising her beloved brother to life, with faith in him as Saviour and Redeemer. The complaint that the gift was wasteful and should have been sold came not from concern for the poor but from covetousness and love of money, and the reproof vexed Judas until greed long indulged overpowered him so that he yielded to the tempter and decided to sell his Master for silver. Her anointing prepared his body for burial and was not waste but a sacrifice of love that he bound to his own sacrifice as a lasting memorial, showing that service to Christ has a rightful place alongside care for the poor and that he is to be honored with the best without calculating its value, an example that has inspired countless deeds of love through the centuries.
Setting and Defense
The saying was spoken at the feast in Simon's house in Bethany, held shortly before the Passover during Jesus' final visit there in the closing days of His ministry. When He understood the objections He overheard the indignant charge that the very precious ointment was waste and should have been sold and given to the poor. He answered by asking why they troubled the woman, thereby stopping the harsh criticism, relieving her distress, rebuking those who condemned her, and speaking approval of what they condemned.
He declared her act a good work upon Him because He considered the motive prompting the deed of the penitent woman. He gave unqualified approval to what men were ready to question and condemn, valuing her sincere love and devotion even though the disciples did not understand it. That appreciation of Him as the world's Redeemer mattered more to Him than the ointment's monetary value.
Her anointing prepared His body for burial, and she had kept the ointment for that purpose. Yet she poured it believing He would soon be crowned and honored as king in Jerusalem and would no longer be rejected or in danger. She acted out of love and gratitude hoping to honor her Saviour before others did.
He knew the circumstances of her life and saw the good she could become when others saw her as hopeless. After He freed her from the demons that had controlled her, His grace brought her into close fellowship and service. So she learned at His feet, anointed Him, stood by His cross, followed Him to the tomb, and first proclaimed His resurrection.
Motives Contrasted
Her costly offering expressed gratitude for compassion and forgiveness and for being transformed from a life of sin to purity, including gratitude for the forgiveness of many sins. It also expressed love and gratitude for mercy in raising her beloved brother to life, with faith in Christ as Saviour and Redeemer and with a sense of the cruel death she believed He would soon face. Acting out of love to honor her Saviour before others did, she poured a box of spikenard worth three hundred pence, a very precious ointment, on His head and feet, hoping He would soon be honored as king and no longer rejected or in danger. His commendation of the act was deeply precious to her as one who adored Him as Redeemer, and her service expressed an appreciation of Him as the world's Redeemer that mattered more to Him than the ointment's monetary value.
The complaint that the gift was wasteful and extravagant and should have been sold for the poor came not from concern for the poor but from covetousness, selfishness, and love of money, focusing on money to be gained. It came from an avaricious and parsimonious spirit that made saving seem the great evidence of godliness, hiding greed and theft from the poor under a pretext of mercy to the poor. The principle of mercy to the poor became a pretext for covetousness, and the criticism hid greed and theft.
Until that feast Judas had inwardly disagreed and spread disaffection yet had made no open opposition or outward murmur, but there he broke that silence and manifested his covetous disposition by murmuring against the anointing. Jesus answered that murmur with reproof, rebuking those who condemned her without exposing Judas directly, because that could have given him an excuse for betrayal. The reproof vexed and annoyed Judas, stirring wounded pride and desire for revenge and feeding selfish resistance.
Greed long indulged then took control and overpowered every other trait, and love of money having perverted his nobler nature made him a fit agent for Satan. He yielded to the tempter and gave easy access to his mind and decided to sell his Master to the murderous priests and rulers for silver. He did so with no thought that Jesus would permit Himself to be taken, thinking the priests would be cheated of their bribe while he secured the money for his own purpose and Jesus would display divine power in delivering Himself. The setting shows how persistent, unresisted tampering with sin leaves a person open to temptation until led captive at Satan's will, when elements of depravity that are not resisted and overcome respond to Satan's temptations.
Giving and Example
What others called waste was no waste at all, but a sacrifice of love which Christ bound to His own sacrifice and made a lasting memorial. It represented His boundless love and was joined to His sacrifice to be remembered as a lesson for the church in every age. Service to Christ and support for the gospel have a rightful place alongside care for the poor, so not all labor and gifts are to be given to the poor alone. The ointment could have been sold to provide bread and clothing for a few destitute people for a short time, but Mary would then have lost her unique opportunity to minister to Jesus and express her love for Him. Her gift testified to love for a Master who continually served others, helped the poor, and comforted the oppressed.
Christ is to be honored by giving Him the best of what is possessed, and faithful stewards can put His cause first without neglecting the poor. Those who have received salvation should give to Christ without calculating the value of the offering, with regret only that the gift was not richer. Such a loving gift is an expression of the appreciation owed to Christ and to those who represent Him. That appreciation mattered more to Him than the monetary value of the ointment, and His commendation of her service expressing appreciation of Him as the world's Redeemer was deeply precious to her.
Her loving act, like the widow's offering, has inspired many to serve. The memory of her good work of love has inspired countless further deeds of love through the centuries. She will rejoice when she sees the good her gift has brought about.
At the feast at Simon's house in Bethany shortly before Passover in the closing days of his ministry, Jesus overheard the indignant charge that the very precious ointment was waste and should have been sold for the poor, and he stopped the harsh criticism and relieved her distress by asking why they troubled the woman. He declared her act a good work upon him because he looked at the motive prompting the deed, valuing her sincere love and devotion more than the ointment's monetary value even though the disciples did not understand it. Her pouring of a box of spikenard worth three hundred pence on his head and feet expressed gratitude for his compassion in forgiving her many sins and transforming her from sin to purity, and love for his mercy in raising her beloved brother to life, with faith in him as Saviour and Redeemer. The complaint that the gift was wasteful and should have been sold came not from concern for the poor but from covetousness and love of money, and the reproof vexed Judas until greed long indulged overpowered him so that he yielded to the tempter and decided to sell his Master for silver. Her anointing prepared his body for burial and was not waste but a sacrifice of love that he bound to his own sacrifice as a lasting memorial, showing that service to Christ has a rightful place alongside care for the poor and that he is to be honored with the best without calculating its value, an example that has inspired countless deeds of love through the centuries.
Setting and Defense
The saying was spoken at the feast in Simon's house in Bethany, held shortly before the Passover during Jesus' final visit there in the closing days of His ministry. When He understood the objections He overheard the indignant charge that the very precious ointment was waste and should have been sold and given to the poor. He answered by asking why they troubled the woman, thereby stopping the harsh criticism, relieving her distress, rebuking those who condemned her, and speaking approval of what they condemned.
He declared her act a good work upon Him because He considered the motive prompting the deed of the penitent woman. He gave unqualified approval to what men were ready to question and condemn, valuing her sincere love and devotion even though the disciples did not understand it. That appreciation of Him as the world's Redeemer mattered more to Him than the ointment's monetary value.
Her anointing prepared His body for burial, and she had kept the ointment for that purpose. Yet she poured it believing He would soon be crowned and honored as king in Jerusalem and would no longer be rejected or in danger. She acted out of love and gratitude hoping to honor her Saviour before others did.
He knew the circumstances of her life and saw the good she could become when others saw her as hopeless. After He freed her from the demons that had controlled her, His grace brought her into close fellowship and service. So she learned at His feet, anointed Him, stood by His cross, followed Him to the tomb, and first proclaimed His resurrection.
Motives Contrasted
Her costly offering expressed gratitude for compassion and forgiveness and for being transformed from a life of sin to purity, including gratitude for the forgiveness of many sins. It also expressed love and gratitude for mercy in raising her beloved brother to life, with faith in Christ as Saviour and Redeemer and with a sense of the cruel death she believed He would soon face. Acting out of love to honor her Saviour before others did, she poured a box of spikenard worth three hundred pence, a very precious ointment, on His head and feet, hoping He would soon be honored as king and no longer rejected or in danger. His commendation of the act was deeply precious to her as one who adored Him as Redeemer, and her service expressed an appreciation of Him as the world's Redeemer that mattered more to Him than the ointment's monetary value.
The complaint that the gift was wasteful and extravagant and should have been sold for the poor came not from concern for the poor but from covetousness, selfishness, and love of money, focusing on money to be gained. It came from an avaricious and parsimonious spirit that made saving seem the great evidence of godliness, hiding greed and theft from the poor under a pretext of mercy to the poor. The principle of mercy to the poor became a pretext for covetousness, and the criticism hid greed and theft.
Until that feast Judas had inwardly disagreed and spread disaffection yet had made no open opposition or outward murmur, but there he broke that silence and manifested his covetous disposition by murmuring against the anointing. Jesus answered that murmur with reproof, rebuking those who condemned her without exposing Judas directly, because that could have given him an excuse for betrayal. The reproof vexed and annoyed Judas, stirring wounded pride and desire for revenge and feeding selfish resistance.
Greed long indulged then took control and overpowered every other trait, and love of money having perverted his nobler nature made him a fit agent for Satan. He yielded to the tempter and gave easy access to his mind and decided to sell his Master to the murderous priests and rulers for silver. He did so with no thought that Jesus would permit Himself to be taken, thinking the priests would be cheated of their bribe while he secured the money for his own purpose and Jesus would display divine power in delivering Himself. The setting shows how persistent, unresisted tampering with sin leaves a person open to temptation until led captive at Satan's will, when elements of depravity that are not resisted and overcome respond to Satan's temptations.
Giving and Example
What others called waste was no waste at all, but a sacrifice of love which Christ bound to His own sacrifice and made a lasting memorial. It represented His boundless love and was joined to His sacrifice to be remembered as a lesson for the church in every age. Service to Christ and support for the gospel have a rightful place alongside care for the poor, so not all labor and gifts are to be given to the poor alone. The ointment could have been sold to provide bread and clothing for a few destitute people for a short time, but Mary would then have lost her unique opportunity to minister to Jesus and express her love for Him. Her gift testified to love for a Master who continually served others, helped the poor, and comforted the oppressed.
Christ is to be honored by giving Him the best of what is possessed, and faithful stewards can put His cause first without neglecting the poor. Those who have received salvation should give to Christ without calculating the value of the offering, with regret only that the gift was not richer. Such a loving gift is an expression of the appreciation owed to Christ and to those who represent Him. That appreciation mattered more to Him than the monetary value of the ointment, and His commendation of her service expressing appreciation of Him as the world's Redeemer was deeply precious to her.
Her loving act, like the widow's offering, has inspired many to serve. The memory of her good work of love has inspired countless further deeds of love through the centuries. She will rejoice when she sees the good her gift has brought about.