Mary Of Bethany Anoints Jesus
One of the most well-known stories of the Bible is about Lazarus, and his sisters, Mary and Martha. The following blog by Stephanie Nickel, tells the story.
What do you think about this story? We would love to hear from you. Share your comment below or contact us at HopeStreamRadio.
Mary of Bethany
This story is found in John 12 1-6 (ESV).
“Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.”
Jesus Had Friends
We don’t often think of Jesus having friends, at least not in the same way we do, but there they were . . . together again: Jesus, His disciples, Lazarus, and Lazarus’ sisters (Mary and Martha).
Perhaps everything was going normally . . . at least as normally as it could when you have the Messiah over for supper, the One who raised the man of the house from the dead.
But then something very abnormal happened. Mary poured perfume on Jesus’ feet—and not just any perfume. It was pure nard, very costly. How expensive? The passage tells us it was worth an entire year’s wages.
Wait . . . what? Mary emptied a bottle of perfume that was worth a small fortune on the Lord’s feet—and then wiped them with her hair. Seriously?
Judas is Indignant
Now, the Bible teaches that Judas’ indignation stemmed from selfish motives, but be honest. Which one of us wouldn’t have responded as he did (hopefully for more unselfish reasons)? Wouldn’t it have honoured God far more if she’d sold the perfume and given the funds to the Lord to further His Father’s kingdom?
But sometimes, extravagance is the right choice, especially when it comes to expressing our love for the Lord.
What do we have that is worth a great deal, either monetarily or sentimentally? Are we willing to pour it out for Jesus? Do we love Him that much? Are we that thankful for what He has done for us? And what about our time? Are we willing to pour it out in ways that honour Him and express our love for Him? (As I’ve often prayed, I want to invest my time, not merely spend it.)
hopestreamradio · Love Poured Out
This in no way means that we shouldn’t give of our resources—and of ourselves—to minister to the needs of those around us. In fact, there are countless passages in Scripture that tells us to do just that, but we can get so busy focusing outward and inward that we forget to turn our gaze upward.
Give Jesus Our Attention
Jesus no longer walks among us. We can’t invite Him over for Sunday dinner and offer Him our most prized possession or act of service, but we can give Him our time, something so many of us find in short supply. We can give Him our attention by studying the Scriptures and spending time in prayer.
The more we spend time with Him, the more we will want to love Him extravagantly. We can’t let the naysayers discourage us. (Just a quick aside . . . if your decision to love Jesus extravagantly will have an adverse effect on your spouse, business partner, or someone else, proceed with caution. Pray about it and discuss it with them—if appropriate.)
And if we see others making what we feel are unwise choices in this area, we must be very careful not to judge them too quickly or too harshly. If God is accepting their sacrifice, may we never stand in the way.
Let’s love Jesus this much—and encourage others to do the same.
Steph Nickel
Steph Beth Nickel is eclectically interested and eclectically involved. In all she does, Steph seeks to nurture and inspire. She is currently working on the first book in a nonfiction series. Nurture and Inspire LOVE is a compilation of the first devotionals she wrote for HopeStreamRadio.
Steph is a freelance writer and editor. She is the coauthor of Paralympian Deb Willows’ award-winning memoir, Living Beyond My Circumstances, published by Castle Quay Books. Deb and Steph are working on a follow-up book.
You can visit her website, stephbethnickel.com, to learn more about her.
Visit Steph’s contributor’s page or at Steph Nickel’s Eclectic Interests.
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Images Courtesy of:
Mary at Jesus’ Feet: Rubens
Alternative- kerdkanno
Feet- Unsplash
Open Bible: Christie Thomas
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