“…being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as Jesus sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of VERY COSTLY (about one year of wages) oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head. But there were some who WERE INDIGNANT among themselves, and said, “WHY WAS THIS FRAGRANT OIL WASTED? For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And THEY CRITICIZED HER SHARPLY.” (Mark 14:3-5) They viewed the ointment as having greater value than the value of the ACTION OF MARY. It only seems to be wasteful when what is spent is considered to be of greater value than what is to be gained. The disciples valued the financial worth of the oil of spikenard more than they valued MARY’S LOVE AND ANOINTING OF THE LORD.
“Jesus said, “Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a GOOD WORK FOR ME. For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always. She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to ANOINT MY BODY FOR BURIAL. 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.” (Mark 14:6-9)
This is why Mary went to the tomb, SHE BELIEVED Jesus rose from the dead! His disciples obviously DID NOT BELIEVE!!! Mary got there and “…entering the tomb, saw a young man clothed in a long white robe…he said to them, “Do not be alarmed.” You seek Jesus…HE IS RISEN…go, tell His disciples—And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, THEY DID NOT BELIEVE.” (Mark 16:5-7, 11) Jesus, for the third time, “took the twelve aside and said, “Behold…the Son of Man will be…delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon. They will scourge Him AND KILL HIM. And the THIRD DAY HE WILL RISE AGAIN.” (Luke 18:31-33)
We might say, “Did they really know who Jesus was?” Jesus may ask us that same question because He said this about us, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do HE (you and me) WILL DO ALSO; and GREATER WORKS than these HE WILL DO, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I WILL DO IT.”(John 14:12-14)
Your Personal pastor -Bill Stockham