MARK 14:1-9 It was two days before the Passover and the festival of Unleavened Bread. The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to arrest Jesus* by stealth and kill him; 2for they said, ‘Not during the festival, or there may be a riot among the people.
The Anointing at Bethany
3 While he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper,* as he sat at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment of nard, and she broke open the jar and poured the ointment on his head. 4But some were there who said to one another in anger, ‘Why was the ointment wasted in this way? 5 (Judas secretly asked)For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor.’ And they scolded her. 6But Jesus said, ‘Let her alone; why do you trouble her? She has performed a good service for me. 7For you always have the poor with you, and you can show kindness to them whenever you wish; but you will not always have me. 8She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for its burial. 9Truly I tell you, wherever the good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.’In our text for this HOLY Wednesday we see the Anointing of Jesus at Bethany with oil from head to foot. John's gospel recounts the woman as washing Jesus feet with the oil, while here in Mark she starts at his head. The point of the anointing was that the women was ministering to Jesus while she was able because he was here. She was doing what she could when she could.
John Wesley Methodism founder coined the saying "Earn all you can , SAVE all you can, GIVE all you, ALL the time you can". Meaning do the best you can while you can. The U.S. Army puts it this way "Be all that you can be". The women in the text already knew this, and I believe unlike the 12 she understood Jesus warnings about his impending trial and death. Therefore she wanted to do what she could while she could.
Jesus words in the text to leave the women alone, should speak to us, challenging us to answer the question of what are we doing. How are we being the best Christians we can be for God today. This Holy Wednesday who are we ministering too? Whom are we helping in a time of trial? What sacrifices are we making to God, our fellow human, or our earth. Remember the women used her own precious oil on Jesus it was valuable and precious. Whats you precious and valuable gift again?
Let me know how this text speaks to you?
1 comment:
Powerful! A constant reminder of taking advantage of the moment and fully committing. How ofter do we reserve our best for our own benefit and not for the benefit of the Lord. He should always come first!
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