24.190 | A BEAUTIFUL THING | Mark 14:3-9 | God’s Word for Today with Pastor Nazario Sinon

God’s Word for Today
8 Aug, 2024
3 And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. 4 There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? 5 For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her. 6 But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. 8 She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. 9 And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”
Mark 14: 3-9 ESV
A BEAUTIFUL THING
Jesus was in the house of Simon, the leper at Bethany, about two miles from the temple. On this night before His Last Supper with the disciples, Jesus has dinner with friends. John mentions a very similar event dated four days earlier (John 12:1-8).
Before this, a few days earlier, a different woman anointed Jesus as He visited with a Pharisee named Simon (Luke 7:36-50). Simon was horrified that Jesus let "a woman of the city, who was a sinner" touch Him. Jesus saw her actions as coming from her faith and declared her sins forgiven.
This is the second time in a week that a woman has anointed Jesus with extremely valuable ointment, and the second time the disciples have grumbled about the waste (see John 12:1-8). And sadly for the second time, Jesus has reprimanded them for criticizing a woman who uses her resources to worship Him (see v.6-9). How come they miss Jesus' teaching and make the same mistake twice within a week?
She broke the alabaster flask and poured the perfume onto Jesus’ head. An alabaster is a type of gypsum, a soft, white, translucent stone often used for sculptures, which appear like a marble. Perhaps, the woman "breaks" the flask, by breaking the seal on the lid. This expensive perfume nard equivalent to a year’s wage [300 denarii] comes from a plant found in the Himalayas of Nepal, China, and India. When women are not allowed to own property or money, they accumulate clothing and jewelry as investments, which may include this perfume.
For, Jesus it was a beautiful thing. But, the disciples looked at it as a waste of money. Let’s recall in the earlier event, Judas is particularly loud in grumbling about the waste. Here, the other disciples have joined in (Mat 26:8). John reveals that while Judas claims to be concerned about the poor, he's more concerned about pocketing the money, himself (John 12:4-6). A double-standard.
The anointing has served its purpose. This woman's offering is extravagant undoubtedly. The disciples scolded her. The disciples were thinking about the good use of the money for the poor. But, Jesus recognizes that what she did was much better, a beautiful thing. She seems to know that Jesus will die so this anointing was her only opportunity. Undoubtedly, the way in which she gives it lavishly is a better indication of her love of Jesus.
When others can’t fathom our love for Jesus, our sacrifice for Him will be criticized as ‘too much’. You can’t limit the person who is ‘compelled’ with love. As the great missionary C.T. Studd said, “If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.” Our challenge today is to demonstrate our love of Jesus by the sacrifices for Him and his glory.
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