“…Mary (brother of Lazarus) took a pound of VERY COSTLY OIL of spikenard, ANOINTED THE FEET OF JESUS, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” (John 12:3-5) This was no ordinary perfume, by the way. The ointment was made from an herb that grew in the mountains of India and was exported throughout the world. It was often passed down from family to family as an heirloom, and it carried SUCH IMMENSE VALUE that people used it for investment purposes as well as aromatic purposes. The amount was 300 times a laborer’s daily wage, $23.24 USD/Hour in March of 2019 is the average hourly rate today so, that would be $55,776, a very valuable gift for the Master. Judas said what he did, “…not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief…” (John 12:6) I think the Lord revealed to Mary the misery He was about to go through so, as an act of worship she did this anointing. “…Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for THE DAY OF MY BURIAL.” (John 12:7) “Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told AS A MEMORIAL TO HER.” (Matt. 26:13)
Jesus makes this statement to acknowledge WHAT MARY DID not for who she was. We must understand the MOST IMPORTANT THING we can do is to, “Love the Lord your God with all your HEART and with all your SOUL and with all your MIND. This is the…
FIRST AND GREATEST COMMANDMENT.” (Matt. 22:37-38)
-Bill Stockham