The story of a woman anointing Jesus’ feet happens in all four gospels. In John Chapter 12 it is Mary of Bethany, Martha’s sister from yesterday’s reading. We can learn from Mary what it means to offer everything we have in extravagant and lavish worship of Jesus.
The story takes place at Mary, Martha and Lazarus’ house in Bethany. Jesus is clearly good friends with the siblings, they have appeared in the gospel before. Once again, Martha’s servant heart is apparent as she serves the dinner. Lazarus is reclining at the table, while Mary takes an expensive jar of perfume and pours it over Jesus’ feet, wiping it with her hair.
Judas Iscariot, who is also present at the meal, is disgusted by the extravagance. He claims the money could have been better spent on the poor, however John tells us that really Judas was a thief. Jesus challenges this attitude - you will always have the poor, but you won’t always have me.
This is a lesson about worship. Mary’s actions can teach us something about true devotion to Jesus. It is about recognising who Jesus is. It is about giving him everything, kneeling at his feet and holding nothing back. It is about expressing our inward devotion with our outward actions. Notice how John tells us in v3 that the fragrance of the perfume filled the whole house.
Paul tells us something similar, that we bring the aroma of Christ wherever we go:
But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.
2 Corinthians 2: 14-15 [NIV]
This is a challenge to carry Jesus with us wherever we go, how do people know that you are a follower of Christ?
Emma Higgins
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