Tuesday, March 6, 2018
John 12:3 Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
THE OINTMENT THAT HONORS
Mary of Bethany, the sister of Lazarus and Martha, did a rather strange thing that Monday evening before Holy Week. Hebrew women typically had long hair and wore it braided or pinned up. Yet, in deep humility she took her hair down and used it to wipe Jesus' feet. She anointed him as one would a king, and she sponged his feet as a lowly servant and slave would. The aroma of the expensive perfume filled the house. Mary gave the best she had for her Lord.
What about us? It took great bravery for Mary to approach the busy dinner table and meekly worship her Lord with her actions. Do we always show a similar Christian attitude? Do we honor Jesus with the best that we have?
In a parallel account in Matthew 26:12, Jesus tells his disciples, "In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for my burial." Jesus again clearly predicted His impending death and even implied that May also sensed that He was going to die. By faith Mary believed that Jesus was her Lord and Savior from sin. By faith Mary trusted that Jesus had made her redemption and the redemption of all people His number one priority. By faith Mary understood that we do not waste our material goods when we use them to honor and worship Jesus.
Through the means of grace, the Gospel in Word and Sacraments, we too have a Mary-like faith which believes, trusts, and understands the purpose, attitude, and triumph of Jesus Christ. The greatest honor that anyone can ever experience is the love that God has shown us "in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). By faith we too, like Mary, are able to bravely and humbly honor our Jesus with our love for him in all that we do.
