Day #94 - Anointing the Anointed (Holy Week, Tuesday)

The Presence - A Devotional for Living in Thanksgiving, Worship and Wonder

“While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭26‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Photo by Christin Hume on Unsplash

What is the most expensive gift you have ever purchased?

For me the most expensive gift I have ever given was my wife’s wedding ring. I don’t regret it at all. I saved up and worked hard for that ring. I knew what she wanted and we had a close friend that was a jeweler. He helped me put it together and create something that was to her liking. She is the most important gift in my life (apart from Christ Himself) and I wanted her to know how valuable she was to me by giving her something of great worth.

On Tuesday of Holy Week, Jesus had already cursed the fig tree and taught the Olivet discourse. He was spending some time in Bethany and his dear friend Mary (as recorded in other gospels) brought a very expensive perfume to anoint Jesus. This perfume cost a year’s wages. It was an extravagant gift.

The charges came forward that this was a waste of money and could have been used for the poor. However, Jesus states this was a special gift for His burial. We learn from Mary of Bethany that what might seem like a waste is not a waste at all if you spend it on Jesus.

Mary chose to anoint Jesus, the Anointed One. She recognized what others missed. She was caring for the needs of His heart. I’ve heard of some scholars who believe this expensive perfume and this entire jar could have been so strong that Jesus may have continued to smell this oil for the rest of Holy Week even during His suffering on the cross.

Jesus commends the sacrificial offering of Mary and says this story will be told of her wherever the gospel is preached. Mary is a picture for us of devotion to God and being a person of “the Presence.” Mary’s love for Jesus was sacrificial. By this act, Mary would smell the same as Jesus wherever she went. When we spend time in the presence of Jesus Christ, we too can carry His fragrances wherever we go.

The oil of intimacy, choosing a love relationship with God and dwelling in His presence is costly as Mary shows us. There is nothing greater in this life than to be extravagant in our love for Jesus. Of course we can only choose to be so generous in our love to Him because of the generosity of His love towards us. Mary gave a year’s worth of wages for Jesus while acknowledging that Jesus was about to give an eternity worth of wages for Mary and for us.

Jesus, my Lord and my love, I worship you. I want the extravagant devotion of Mary. I want the oil of intimacy. I bring you my best and I bring you my time. You are worthy of my devotion. I want the fragrance of Christ to be upon my life. I want to attend to the needs of your heart the way that Mary did. In your name Jesus, amen.