Jesus Anointed at Bethany

  

 

 

 

 

Mark 14: 3-9

 

June 30, 2020

 

Jesus Anointed at Bethany

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.  There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that?   For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her.  But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me.  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. She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial.  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.”

If you look at John 12:2-3, John identifies the woman as Mary of Bethany, who is the one who pours expensive fragrant oil of nard on Jesus' head.  Most of the people (these are my thoughts) who were upset by Mary’s actions did not give a flip for the poor, but self-greed.   The denarius was a day’s wage for a common worker, so it was about a year’s wages.

“Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me.   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. She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial.”

Not much has changed in that regard; the world of 2020 is very similar to the time of Jesus, in that they were materially-minded, and our culture is consumed with the desire for more stuff.  We do not know that much about Mary of Bethany, but she was the sister of Lazarus and Martha.  She was also rebuked by her sister for not helping get a meal ready for Jesus and others because she was sitting, listening to Jesus teach.

“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.”  

If you want to have people tell about you, invest in their spiritual lives and tell them about what Jesus has done for you.

 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice