The Text (John 12:1–8)
Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. 3 Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 5 “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7 Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. 8 For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”
An Insight
Our reading for this week is of Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, making a lavish and extravagant expression of devotion to Jesus. She does this after Jesus has raised her brother from the dead and only days before Jesus himself will die and rise again. It is difficult for us to appreciate just how grand Mary’s gesture is. The pure nard of her perfume was imported from a plant in northern India. Imported eastern goods normally only found themselves in the hands of the wealthy, so this ointment is probably the most expensive thing Mary owns. We don’t know how she came to possess something so valuable, but a likely explanation is that it was a family heirloom, which would mean it had sentimental value to her as well. John tells us Mary took a pound of it. Clearly, she is not putting a couple of drops’ worth on Jesus’ feet; she is drenching them with perfume. Without speaking a single word, Mary shows that she fully embraces who Jesus is, his teachings, and his Lordship over her life. In contrast, the religious leaders had just been plotting to kill Jesus a couple of passages before (11:45–53), and Judas is already planning to betray him.
A Timeless Principle
Jesus was controversial and surprising. His teachings upset many people, he was not the kind of Messiah most people expected, and his shameful death on the cross would later only further confirm to them that he was a sham. By this point in John, even one of his chosen twelve had turned against him. In that kind of atmosphere, we can imagine how easy it would be to only love Jesus from afar to avoid unwanted attention. Mary, however, fully aligns herself with the Savior the world rejects. Her extraordinary display of adoration, submission, and love would have not only expressed her faith but deepened it. She embodies the kind of devotion to which all followers of Jesus are called, even though others may view him, and us by extension, with distaste and disgust.
Living the Text
Jesus has no shortage of people today who reject him, finding his teachings distasteful, offensive, or inconvenient. Many others prefer a sanitized, comfortable Jesus who has good things to say but will not challenge or transform us. The pressure to love Jesus from afar or only partially embrace him is real. Mary shows us how genuine discipleship is found in fully embracing and celebrating Jesus as the absolute Lord over our lives, despite how silly it may seem to the world or shocking it may be to those who love him from afar. Perhaps, like Mary, there is an expression of devotion we can offer him today to more fully embrace and celebrate him. It may involve a different use of our time or money, service to someone else done in his name, or finally turning away something that has been hindering our relationship with him. Let’s prayerfully consider what opportunities are available today to express our devotion to Jesus. Even as the Lord is glorified through these things, he will work through them to draw us closer to himself.
Prayer
Heavenly Father,
We praise and glorify you today. We honor you as Creator, Savior, and King. You have made your power, holiness, and supreme love known through your Son, whom the world rejected and continues to reject. See our humble embrace of him today and help us to embrace him every day. Open for us more opportunities to glorify your name and rejoice in the love and grace you have shown us.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
