#BibleLesson Timeless Truths. Two Responses to Christ's Love
Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. 2 “But not during the festival,” they said, “or the people may riot.”
3 While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.
4 Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? 5 It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages[a] and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.
6 “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 The poor you will always have with you,[b] and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. 8 She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial.
Mark 14:1-8
The woman who anointed Jesus with expensive perfume is a timeless model for expressing your love for the One who gave His all for you. Her act rivals the giving of the widow's mite as the most profound illustration of response to Christ's love in the Bible.
She provides an attitude check for you today in your personal response to Christ's love for you, just as it was for Jesus' disciples on that day.
Her act was
- Extravagant (V3). It was a magnification of a "normal act" at a banquet.
The disciple's attitude was
- Small-spirited (V5). It was way out of budget.
Her act was
- Beautiful (V6). The action was out of deep love.
The disciple's attitude was
- Critical (V5c). It's easy to slip into a mindset of negative input.
Her act was
- Selfless (Then Mary took about a pint[a] of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. John 12.3). Her action brought disrespect to her position as a woman.
The disciple's attitude was
- Self-serving ([Judas] did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. John 12:6)
Her act was
- Timely (Vv 6-8). She did the right thing at the right time.
The disciple's attitude was
- Short-sighted (V5b). They also needed money if Jesus was going to lead a rebellion.
Her act was
- Enduring (V9). She is remembered for her love to this day. What does it mean to give of yourself out of love?
The disciple's attitude was
- Enduring. The critics, especially Judas, are also still remembered, but not positively.
"Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”
Mark 14:9
There is room in your life to be appreciative
of acts of kindness done to you.
Thanks to Dr. Dan Copp for the primary teaching in this post.
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