But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste?
At the feast in Bethany in the closing days of Christ's ministry Mary broke her costly box of spikenard and poured it upon His head and feet, and Judas first raised the cry of indignation and the other disciples followed him in calling the offering thrown away instead of sold for much and given to the poor. The objection was not true care for the poor but covetousness and selfish love of money concealing theft, joined by narrow judging of the gift by its money value and failure to appreciate Christ's worth and how soon His presence would be lost. Jesus vindicated the act as a good work and outward sign of love from gratitude and faith, and the gift was no waste, for sold for food it would have fed only a few for a short time while poured out it gave Mary her unique opportunity to minister to her Lord and honor Him for burial. The charge of waste points to Christ's far greater sacrifice in giving Himself as the propitiation for a lost world, which by human reckoning might seem extravagant but is abundant and complete and not wasteful though not all accept it. Honoring Christ with the best of one's substance comes first and is not to be restricted under the plea of the poor, and the alabaster offering teaches giving from love without calculating its value, a devotion that continues to be repeated in receptive hearts through the centuries.
Setting and Action
The indignation belongs to the feast at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, in the closing days of Christ's ministry on His last visit to Bethany before the Passover. Jesus and His disciples had gathered there while many Jews watched His movements, some with unfriendly eyes. At that feast the indignation was expressed when Mary, in gratitude for her brother's restoration to life and in full faith in Christ as her Saviour, broke her alabaster box and poured its fragrant contents upon Him.
The ointment was precious ointment of spikenard, costly ointment valued at three hundred pence. Mary had bought it at great personal sacrifice. She broke the alabaster box and poured its fragrant contents on Christ's head and feet.
She did this from love and gratitude for His forgiveness of her sins and for His restoring Lazarus to life. She wanted to honor Him, believing He would soon be elevated to kingly authority. She had also intended to anoint Him for burial.
The indignation was first raised by Judas, the traitorous disciple, and the other disciples followed his complaint and joined in it. His whispered insinuation and dishonest influence stirred their distrust and led them to look with suspicion on Mary's loving devotion. Together they had indignation, regarding her costly offering and loving act as wasteful and displeased with her for it. They said the ointment was thrown away and wasted instead of being sold for much and given to the poor for bread and clothing.
Motives and Vindication
The cry of waste did not spring from pity for the poor, for Judas cared nothing for their welfare. His plea was covetousness and selfishness, an ambitious love of money and a parsimonious saving put forward as godliness. Behind the professed concern lay theft, for he was stealing the money entrusted to him for the poor and for church expenses, and he wanted the price for himself. What Mary gave in generosity he counted extravagant, and his whispered insinuation disguised greed as charity.
The other disciples took up his murmur and judged the costly offering by its money value with narrow, covetous thinking. They did not yet understand how much Christ meant to them, failed to appreciate His worth, and did not consider how soon they would lose His presence. Stirred by Judas to distrust and suspicion of Mary's loving devotion, they joined the indignation, reproached her and condemned her act as thrown away. Their disapproval left her ashamed and afraid that her devotion was wrong, though her gift was an expression of gratitude and love they did not understand.
Jesus heard the remark and vindicated what men questioned and condemned. He took into consideration the motive prompting the deed of the penitent woman and gave unqualified approval to her act as a good work and outward sign of her love for Him. His commendation made the act more valuable to Him than the ointment itself. In that vindication He rebuked Judas, exposing the contrast between Mary's love and Judas's greed and hollow concern.
That gift was no waste. Sold for food it would have fed only a small number of destitute persons for a short time, with no certainty they would have been really benefited. Poured out, it gave Mary a unique opportunity to minister to her Lord and to express, however feebly, her sense of His boundless love. The act was lasting, a faint representation of Christ's boundless love, immortalized and bound up by Christ Himself with His own sacrifice, the greatest the world has ever seen.
Meaning and Application
The cry of waste over the broken ointment throws light on a far greater giving, for the anointing points to Christ giving Himself as the propitiation for a lost world, in which God gave all heaven in Jesus. Judged by human standards that self-giving might seem extravagant, just as Mary's gift seemed extravagant, but the plan of redemption is abundant and complete, not wasteful even though not all accept its provision. Mary represents the church, so the lesson holds in all ages that honoring Christ with the best of one's substance comes first and the special work of carrying the gospel to every creature is not to be restricted under the plea of giving to the poor. Christ has not bidden bestow all labor and gifts upon the poor, because resources are needed to support those fulfilling His commission to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, and caring for the poor must not lead to neglect of God's cause. Sold for food the ointment would have fed only a small number of destitute persons for a short time with no certainty of real benefit, while poured out it was a faint representation of Christ's boundless love, showing Mary's love for her Saviour, immortalized and bound up by Christ Himself with His own sacrifice, the greatest the world has ever seen.
The alabaster offering represents giving to Christ from love without stopping to calculate its monetary value, in which those who have received His pardoning love regret only that their gift is not richer and more precious. Likewise the sanctuary offerings made by God's specific direction were not waste but honored God, who is to be worshiped with reverence and awe. Mary's overflowing love, dismissed as waste, continues to be repeated in other receptive hearts, that loving act continuing through the centuries to inspire countless other deeds of love. She will rejoice when she sees the lasting good her act has brought about, for her gift to the Saviour inspired loving service in many people.
The indignation was Judas's first open murmur after long inward disagreement with Christ's teaching and spreading disaffection, manifesting greed long indulged and covetousness cherished under an excuse of concern for the poor. He cared nothing for the poor and regarded the generous gift as extravagant, calculating the money it might have brought, selfish and misusing money entrusted to him for the poor, while Mary's generous gift expressed gratitude for forgiveness of her sins and raising of her beloved brother and sharply rebuked his covetousness. He resisted correction, and when Christ reproved him his spirit was turned to gall, the rebuke rankling in him with wounded pride and desire for revenge until greed overpowered every other trait and he betrayed Jesus for money. His reaction showed how little he valued Jesus, whom he would sell for a few pieces of silver, and how elements of depravity not resisted respond to Satan's temptations until the soul is led captive at his will and left more open to temptation. The verse thus exposes the questioning, criticizing and condemning spirit that finds fault with generous use of means, as in asking why wear a silk dress or why spend money for one thing instead of another worthy object.
At the feast in Bethany in the closing days of Christ's ministry Mary broke her costly box of spikenard and poured it upon His head and feet, and Judas first raised the cry of indignation and the other disciples followed him in calling the offering thrown away instead of sold for much and given to the poor. The objection was not true care for the poor but covetousness and selfish love of money concealing theft, joined by narrow judging of the gift by its money value and failure to appreciate Christ's worth and how soon His presence would be lost. Jesus vindicated the act as a good work and outward sign of love from gratitude and faith, and the gift was no waste, for sold for food it would have fed only a few for a short time while poured out it gave Mary her unique opportunity to minister to her Lord and honor Him for burial. The charge of waste points to Christ's far greater sacrifice in giving Himself as the propitiation for a lost world, which by human reckoning might seem extravagant but is abundant and complete and not wasteful though not all accept it. Honoring Christ with the best of one's substance comes first and is not to be restricted under the plea of the poor, and the alabaster offering teaches giving from love without calculating its value, a devotion that continues to be repeated in receptive hearts through the centuries.
Setting and Action
The indignation belongs to the feast at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, in the closing days of Christ's ministry on His last visit to Bethany before the Passover. Jesus and His disciples had gathered there while many Jews watched His movements, some with unfriendly eyes. At that feast the indignation was expressed when Mary, in gratitude for her brother's restoration to life and in full faith in Christ as her Saviour, broke her alabaster box and poured its fragrant contents upon Him.
The ointment was precious ointment of spikenard, costly ointment valued at three hundred pence. Mary had bought it at great personal sacrifice. She broke the alabaster box and poured its fragrant contents on Christ's head and feet.
She did this from love and gratitude for His forgiveness of her sins and for His restoring Lazarus to life. She wanted to honor Him, believing He would soon be elevated to kingly authority. She had also intended to anoint Him for burial.
The indignation was first raised by Judas, the traitorous disciple, and the other disciples followed his complaint and joined in it. His whispered insinuation and dishonest influence stirred their distrust and led them to look with suspicion on Mary's loving devotion. Together they had indignation, regarding her costly offering and loving act as wasteful and displeased with her for it. They said the ointment was thrown away and wasted instead of being sold for much and given to the poor for bread and clothing.
Motives and Vindication
The cry of waste did not spring from pity for the poor, for Judas cared nothing for their welfare. His plea was covetousness and selfishness, an ambitious love of money and a parsimonious saving put forward as godliness. Behind the professed concern lay theft, for he was stealing the money entrusted to him for the poor and for church expenses, and he wanted the price for himself. What Mary gave in generosity he counted extravagant, and his whispered insinuation disguised greed as charity.
The other disciples took up his murmur and judged the costly offering by its money value with narrow, covetous thinking. They did not yet understand how much Christ meant to them, failed to appreciate His worth, and did not consider how soon they would lose His presence. Stirred by Judas to distrust and suspicion of Mary's loving devotion, they joined the indignation, reproached her and condemned her act as thrown away. Their disapproval left her ashamed and afraid that her devotion was wrong, though her gift was an expression of gratitude and love they did not understand.
Jesus heard the remark and vindicated what men questioned and condemned. He took into consideration the motive prompting the deed of the penitent woman and gave unqualified approval to her act as a good work and outward sign of her love for Him. His commendation made the act more valuable to Him than the ointment itself. In that vindication He rebuked Judas, exposing the contrast between Mary's love and Judas's greed and hollow concern.
That gift was no waste. Sold for food it would have fed only a small number of destitute persons for a short time, with no certainty they would have been really benefited. Poured out, it gave Mary a unique opportunity to minister to her Lord and to express, however feebly, her sense of His boundless love. The act was lasting, a faint representation of Christ's boundless love, immortalized and bound up by Christ Himself with His own sacrifice, the greatest the world has ever seen.
Meaning and Application
The cry of waste over the broken ointment throws light on a far greater giving, for the anointing points to Christ giving Himself as the propitiation for a lost world, in which God gave all heaven in Jesus. Judged by human standards that self-giving might seem extravagant, just as Mary's gift seemed extravagant, but the plan of redemption is abundant and complete, not wasteful even though not all accept its provision. Mary represents the church, so the lesson holds in all ages that honoring Christ with the best of one's substance comes first and the special work of carrying the gospel to every creature is not to be restricted under the plea of giving to the poor. Christ has not bidden bestow all labor and gifts upon the poor, because resources are needed to support those fulfilling His commission to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, and caring for the poor must not lead to neglect of God's cause. Sold for food the ointment would have fed only a small number of destitute persons for a short time with no certainty of real benefit, while poured out it was a faint representation of Christ's boundless love, showing Mary's love for her Saviour, immortalized and bound up by Christ Himself with His own sacrifice, the greatest the world has ever seen.
The alabaster offering represents giving to Christ from love without stopping to calculate its monetary value, in which those who have received His pardoning love regret only that their gift is not richer and more precious. Likewise the sanctuary offerings made by God's specific direction were not waste but honored God, who is to be worshiped with reverence and awe. Mary's overflowing love, dismissed as waste, continues to be repeated in other receptive hearts, that loving act continuing through the centuries to inspire countless other deeds of love. She will rejoice when she sees the lasting good her act has brought about, for her gift to the Saviour inspired loving service in many people.
The indignation was Judas's first open murmur after long inward disagreement with Christ's teaching and spreading disaffection, manifesting greed long indulged and covetousness cherished under an excuse of concern for the poor. He cared nothing for the poor and regarded the generous gift as extravagant, calculating the money it might have brought, selfish and misusing money entrusted to him for the poor, while Mary's generous gift expressed gratitude for forgiveness of her sins and raising of her beloved brother and sharply rebuked his covetousness. He resisted correction, and when Christ reproved him his spirit was turned to gall, the rebuke rankling in him with wounded pride and desire for revenge until greed overpowered every other trait and he betrayed Jesus for money. His reaction showed how little he valued Jesus, whom he would sell for a few pieces of silver, and how elements of depravity not resisted respond to Satan's temptations until the soul is led captive at his will and left more open to temptation. The verse thus exposes the questioning, criticizing and condemning spirit that finds fault with generous use of means, as in asking why wear a silk dress or why spend money for one thing instead of another worthy object.