J.M. Diener
When I was invited to preach at a local congregation, I was assigned the passage of Mark 14:1-11, in which Jesus is anointed with expensive perfume by a woman. As I prepared for the sermon, I went and looked at the parallel passages and found that John 12:1-8 added some interesting details to the story that brought out some deep thoughts. While Mark and Matthew in their passages do not identify the woman and report her pouring the fragrant oil over Jesus’ head, John tells us that this was Mary of Bethany and that she also poured the perfume over Jesus’ feet. Then she wipes the excess off his feet with her hair, which is the farthest a chaste woman could go to show her love and devotion for a man in public.
Each time this Mary shows up in Scripture she is devotedly at Jesus’ feet, learning, petitioning, and thanking him. Luke shows her to be a spiritually-minded young woman who has her priorities straight (Lk 10:38-42). When her brother dies, John paints her has a gentle-souled woman who comes to Jesus with her troubles as soon as she hears he has arrived. And thus, as the wonderfully emotional being that she is, Mary extravagantly shows her gratitude by pouring out $60,000 USD worth of perfume on Jesus. The text tells us that, “The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume” (Jn. 12:3 – ESV) So everyone became aware of what Mary’s prodigal gratitude.
But what struck me the most was that Mary, in wiping off the excess oil with her hair, got the fragrance on herself. Her worship of Jesus now infected her very own being; and as she rose and walked from the room she carried that lovely smell of her sacrifice and devotion with her. It would have lingered, perhaps for days. Every time someone from the family walked past her, they would be reminded of what Mary had done for Jesus by the smell coming off her. And so, I asked myself, what fragrance do I exude? Can people smell my gratitude and my devotion to and worship of Jesus? Or do I stink of ungratefulness and grumbling? As a habitual grumbler, this brought me up short. What can I change so I pour out my expensive worship on Jesus’ feet? King David says he will not sacrifice to Yahweh that which has cost him nothing (2Sa. 24:24). If worship does not cost me is it worth anything? If worship is paid properly, it will rub off on me and be visible for all to see. Thus, I am convicted to repent of my ungratefulness and driven to exude gratitude for what Jesus has done, is doing, and will do for me. And as I praise, the fragrance of my worship will permeate me as that wonderful fragrance of pure nard settled in Mary’s long locks; and it will go with me so that I and all around me can smell my gratefulness to Jesus.