For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial.
At Bethany in the closing days of His ministry Jesus defended Mary when she broke the alabaster box of costly spikenard and poured it on His head and feet and body beforehand to prepare Him for burial. She intended it for His dead body after death yet did not expect Him to die soon, and she obeyed the prompting of the Holy Spirit without fully understanding her gift until Jesus explained its meaning and gave her more than He received. Her pouring anointed His living body in advance so He could know her love and faith and receive comfort while living, foreshadowing His broken body and resurrection and the spreading fragrance of His self-giving life through the earth. It was a good work upon Him springing from gratitude for forgiveness and overflowing love that placed high value on the Redeemer, and He gave it unqualified approval as no waste, while the complaint that it should have been sold for the poor came not from care for the poor but from the covetousness and selfish greed of Judas. The reproof vexed Judas and gave Satan access, so long-indulged greed overpowered him and he sold his Master for a few pieces of silver far less than Mary's gift. Jesus declared the deed would be told wheresoever the gospel is preached for a memorial of her, making it an enduring example that teaches the church to consecrate the best of its means to Christ and His cause first rather than restricting all gifts to the poor.
Anointing for Burial
The saying was spoken at the feast in the house of Simon the leper at Bethany in the closing days of the ministry, when condemnation fell on Mary for pouring very precious ointment and Jesus defended her against Judas and the disciples who called it waste. He took into account the motive prompting the deed of the penitent woman and gave unqualified approval to what men questioned and condemned as a good work upon Him.
Mary had bought costly ointment, spikenard worth three hundred pence in an alabaster box, kept to anoint His dead body after His death. She broke the box and poured it beforehand on His head and feet and body, anointing Him before His burial from gratitude for her brother's restoration to life and full faith in Christ as her Saviour. She did this though she believed He was about to be honored as king and lifted to a throne and to kingly authority in Jerusalem, welcomed there, and did not expect Him to die soon.
Her pouring was preparation for His burial, a good work upon Him and no waste, an advance anointing of His living body before His death. It was done that He might know her love and faith and receive comfort while living, for He knew those who would come to the tomb to anoint Him would find not a dead Saviour needing care but a living Christ. As the jar was broken and fragrance filled the house, so His body would be broken in death and He would rise, and the fragrance of His self-giving life would spread through the earth. The disciples did not understand the meaning of her gift, and Mary herself obeyed the Holy Spirit's prompting without fully understanding or connecting death with her gift, and Jesus explained its meaning and gave her more than He received.
Love Exposes Covetousness
Mary's pouring came from a life Christ had transformed, for He had seen her capacity for good and lifted her from despair into fellowship and service. It expressed gratitude for the forgiveness of many sins and for mercy, for her brother's restoration to life, and full faith in Christ as Saviour, with an overflowing love that placed the highest value on the Redeemer who labored for others, cared for the poor and comforted the oppressed. Her gift was to her a faint representation of Christ's boundless love. Jesus took the motive into account and gave unqualified approval to what men questioned and condemned, declaring it a good work upon Him, no waste and fitting for the Master. He bound her sacrifice of love with His own far greater sacrifice, accepting it as preparation for His burial as He neared death, though the disciples did not understand its meaning.
Judas and the disciples condemned the pouring as waste and asked why the ointment was not sold for much and given to the poor, but the complaint did not come from care for the poor. Judas hid covetousness and selfish greed behind that plea, counting the money he might have controlled if the ointment had been sold. He misused money entrusted to him for the poor and treated saving as the great evidence of godliness, and Jesus reproved him for this selfishness. That praise of Mary rebuked Judas, who had condemned the offering out of greed while Mary gave a precious gift to Jesus.
The reproof vexed and annoyed Judas, and at that rebuke his very spirit was turned to gall. He yielded to the tempter and gave Satan easy access to his mind. Greed so long indulged then held him in control and overpowered every other trait, for his love of money had perverted his nobler nature, showing that persisting in tampering with unresisted sin lets the elements of depravity respond to temptation until the soul is led captive at his will. In that annoyed, tempted state he decided to sell his Master to the murderous priests and rulers for a few pieces of silver, far less than Mary's gift of spikenard worth three hundred pence. He had no thought Jesus would permit Himself to be taken, thinking Jesus would deliver Himself by divine power and gain a new opportunity to display it, the priests would be cheated of their bribe, and he would secure the money to use for some purpose of his own.
Memorial Guiding Service
Jesus declared that wherever the gospel is preached throughout the whole world, what she did would be told for a memorial of her, immortalizing her sacrifice of love by binding it with His own greater sacrifice. Her gift became an enduring example and an enduring lesson for the church in every age, whose memory prompted countless deeds of love through the centuries and inspired many to serve others. Mary will see the good her act brought about and will rejoice in it.
Mary represents the church, so her act teaches the church in all ages that the special work for this time is not to be restricted under the plea of giving to the poor, and that all labor and gifts are not to be bestowed only on the poor. The best of one's means should be consecrated to Christ, His cause comes first, and neither the poor nor His cause should suffer when stewards do their duty. The resources of the church are needed to support gospel ministry and to carry forward aggressive warfare in new fields in obedience to the commission to preach the gospel to every creature. The ointment sold for bread and clothing would have fed only a small number of destitute persons for a short time without proof of real benefit. Her act also shows the loving response of one who has received salvation, who does not calculate cost and would regret only that the offering was not richer and more valuable, unlike covetous Judas.
At Bethany in the closing days of His ministry Jesus defended Mary when she broke the alabaster box of costly spikenard and poured it on His head and feet and body beforehand to prepare Him for burial. She intended it for His dead body after death yet did not expect Him to die soon, and she obeyed the prompting of the Holy Spirit without fully understanding her gift until Jesus explained its meaning and gave her more than He received. Her pouring anointed His living body in advance so He could know her love and faith and receive comfort while living, foreshadowing His broken body and resurrection and the spreading fragrance of His self-giving life through the earth. It was a good work upon Him springing from gratitude for forgiveness and overflowing love that placed high value on the Redeemer, and He gave it unqualified approval as no waste, while the complaint that it should have been sold for the poor came not from care for the poor but from the covetousness and selfish greed of Judas. The reproof vexed Judas and gave Satan access, so long-indulged greed overpowered him and he sold his Master for a few pieces of silver far less than Mary's gift. Jesus declared the deed would be told wheresoever the gospel is preached for a memorial of her, making it an enduring example that teaches the church to consecrate the best of its means to Christ and His cause first rather than restricting all gifts to the poor.
Anointing for Burial
The saying was spoken at the feast in the house of Simon the leper at Bethany in the closing days of the ministry, when condemnation fell on Mary for pouring very precious ointment and Jesus defended her against Judas and the disciples who called it waste. He took into account the motive prompting the deed of the penitent woman and gave unqualified approval to what men questioned and condemned as a good work upon Him.
Mary had bought costly ointment, spikenard worth three hundred pence in an alabaster box, kept to anoint His dead body after His death. She broke the box and poured it beforehand on His head and feet and body, anointing Him before His burial from gratitude for her brother's restoration to life and full faith in Christ as her Saviour. She did this though she believed He was about to be honored as king and lifted to a throne and to kingly authority in Jerusalem, welcomed there, and did not expect Him to die soon.
Her pouring was preparation for His burial, a good work upon Him and no waste, an advance anointing of His living body before His death. It was done that He might know her love and faith and receive comfort while living, for He knew those who would come to the tomb to anoint Him would find not a dead Saviour needing care but a living Christ. As the jar was broken and fragrance filled the house, so His body would be broken in death and He would rise, and the fragrance of His self-giving life would spread through the earth. The disciples did not understand the meaning of her gift, and Mary herself obeyed the Holy Spirit's prompting without fully understanding or connecting death with her gift, and Jesus explained its meaning and gave her more than He received.
Love Exposes Covetousness
Mary's pouring came from a life Christ had transformed, for He had seen her capacity for good and lifted her from despair into fellowship and service. It expressed gratitude for the forgiveness of many sins and for mercy, for her brother's restoration to life, and full faith in Christ as Saviour, with an overflowing love that placed the highest value on the Redeemer who labored for others, cared for the poor and comforted the oppressed. Her gift was to her a faint representation of Christ's boundless love. Jesus took the motive into account and gave unqualified approval to what men questioned and condemned, declaring it a good work upon Him, no waste and fitting for the Master. He bound her sacrifice of love with His own far greater sacrifice, accepting it as preparation for His burial as He neared death, though the disciples did not understand its meaning.
Judas and the disciples condemned the pouring as waste and asked why the ointment was not sold for much and given to the poor, but the complaint did not come from care for the poor. Judas hid covetousness and selfish greed behind that plea, counting the money he might have controlled if the ointment had been sold. He misused money entrusted to him for the poor and treated saving as the great evidence of godliness, and Jesus reproved him for this selfishness. That praise of Mary rebuked Judas, who had condemned the offering out of greed while Mary gave a precious gift to Jesus.
The reproof vexed and annoyed Judas, and at that rebuke his very spirit was turned to gall. He yielded to the tempter and gave Satan easy access to his mind. Greed so long indulged then held him in control and overpowered every other trait, for his love of money had perverted his nobler nature, showing that persisting in tampering with unresisted sin lets the elements of depravity respond to temptation until the soul is led captive at his will. In that annoyed, tempted state he decided to sell his Master to the murderous priests and rulers for a few pieces of silver, far less than Mary's gift of spikenard worth three hundred pence. He had no thought Jesus would permit Himself to be taken, thinking Jesus would deliver Himself by divine power and gain a new opportunity to display it, the priests would be cheated of their bribe, and he would secure the money to use for some purpose of his own.
Memorial Guiding Service
Jesus declared that wherever the gospel is preached throughout the whole world, what she did would be told for a memorial of her, immortalizing her sacrifice of love by binding it with His own greater sacrifice. Her gift became an enduring example and an enduring lesson for the church in every age, whose memory prompted countless deeds of love through the centuries and inspired many to serve others. Mary will see the good her act brought about and will rejoice in it.
Mary represents the church, so her act teaches the church in all ages that the special work for this time is not to be restricted under the plea of giving to the poor, and that all labor and gifts are not to be bestowed only on the poor. The best of one's means should be consecrated to Christ, His cause comes first, and neither the poor nor His cause should suffer when stewards do their duty. The resources of the church are needed to support gospel ministry and to carry forward aggressive warfare in new fields in obedience to the commission to preach the gospel to every creature. The ointment sold for bread and clothing would have fed only a small number of destitute persons for a short time without proof of real benefit. Her act also shows the loving response of one who has received salvation, who does not calculate cost and would regret only that the offering was not richer and more valuable, unlike covetous Judas.