During Holy Week this year I thought that I would do something just a little different. Instead of using the Scriptures from the Lectionary of the Book of Common Prayer, which I usually follow for my devotionals or meditations, I decided to pick four Scripture passages of events that happened during the last week of Jesus’ life, ones that are generally overlooked in the Lectionary. Today’s Scripture gives the account of a woman’s great sacrifice for the Lord, and how Jesus promised it would be remembered.
As our Scripture opens, it is a few days before the Last Supper and Jesus’ crucifixion, and He and His disciples were invited to dinner at the home of one, Simon “the Leper” (vs. 6). We can safely assume that Simon no longer has this dreaded, contagious skin disease, as those with this disease were always quarantined, living in isolation outside of town, far away from the general population. In fact, they had to call out “Unclean!” if anyone would come near. So the fact that Simon is back among people, living in Bethany, a nearby suburb of Jerusalem, and having people over for dinner, shows that he no longer was leprous. There is even a possibility that Simon could have been one of the many lepers that the Lord Jesus healed, and this meal was just a token of his thankfulness for what Jesus had done.
As Jesus and His disciples, and any other guests were seated around the table, a woman came in and began to anoint Jesus. In Biblical days, particularly with more wealthier households, meals were often served in a courtyard or patio, which were only semi-private. That would be cooler, with a nice breeze, rather than in a hot, crowded, stuffy room inside a house. Thus, someone from the outside could enter without raising a disturbance. This woman, as we shall see, was criticized for what she began doing, not for entering in uninvited.
This woman, who some believe was Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, and also lived in Bethany, began pouring very fragrant oil upon the head of the Lord Jesus (vs. 7). This was oil that was used when preparing a body for burial. The ancient Jews did not mummify or embalm bodies like the ancient Egyptians did. They would loosely wrap a body in linen cloth, after anointing the body with fragrant oils and ointments. These would only preserve the body for a few days, and would cover up the stench of decay. This was a task that the women in the household would do. Naturally, everyone at the table noticed her doing this, as the scent of the perfume spread.
As this woman proceeded to anoint the Lord Jesus, some of the disciples noticed that the particular oil she was using was one that was extremely expensive. This was not an oil that someone would have just picked up at their local supermarket for a few dollars. This was one that would have been purchased at a great expense, one that would have been a great sacrifice to have bought. And here she was, liberally pouring this on Jesus while He was alive. Some of the disciples immediately began to criticize her, acting all pious and sanctimonious, saying that she could have sold that and given the money to the poor (vs. 8-9). This was mainly said by Judas Iscariot (John 12:4-6). Since he held the group’s money bag, and would frequently help himself to it, he would have loved to have gotten his hands on the huge value of that perfumed oil!
Jesus knew why this woman was doing this (vs. 10-12). By anointing Jesus while He was still alive she proved that she believed in His resurrection. She was showing her devotion right then, as she knew His Body would not decay, and thus would not need the oil.
In this passage, Jesus was not advocating that we neglect the poor (vs. 11), as there are countless verses all throughout the Bible where we are told to care for and help the poor, the widow, and the orphan. What Jesus said here is reminiscent of Deuteronomy 15:11. Jesus was highlighting the special sacrifice this woman made for Him.
There is a higher priority than any other earthly ministry that we can do, and that is the worship that we render to the Lord Jesus. This woman was very willing to take an expensive burial oil, worth multiple thousands of dollars, and lavishly pour it upon the Lord Jesus, to show Him her love, devotion, and worship. The Lord rewards faithful devotion to Him. What she did was memorialized in God’s Word forever (vs. 13). What are we willing to do or to sacrifice for Jesus?
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