Holy Week: Day 3

Mark 14

Jesus Anointed at Bethany

 ¹ Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. ² “But not during the festival,” they said, “or the people may riot.”
 ³ While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.
 ⁴ Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? ⁵ It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages^[a] and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.
   ⁶ “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. ⁷ The poor you will always have with you,^[b] and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. ⁸ She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. ⁹ Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”
 ¹⁰ Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. ¹¹ They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.


When is the last time you gave up something costly for God without worrying about how much it cost?  Have you ever saved up money to buy some new $600 computer without thinking twice but really had to debate about putting 20 bucks in the collection plate at church?

In this story, it is a woman  (probably Mary, sister of Martha and Lazerous) anointing Jesus with a Jar of pure nard.  Now it is referred to that this jar of nard could have been sold for the equivalent of 300 days wages for a common laborer.  Last time I checked, a woman during those days didn't even classify as a common laborer so imagine just what it might have actually taken for her to purchase this. Jesus knew what he was about to give up and I believe Mary realized it as well (whether directly or indirectly)

Christ gave up who he was on this earth, he gave up his body so that we might have our body in Christ.  What have we given up for, or even given to God.  Now I'm not saying we have to save up a bunch of Money, buy some super expensive Calvin Klein perfume and go around dumping it on people, but Christ gave his life to us so that we might live in him.  Are we ready/willing/able to give our lives to him so that others might know the gift he gave us all so that others may have Christ live in them and they in him?

" In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
‘Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
‘til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand