"She did what she could." Mark 14:8
The religious leaders of Jesus Christ's day hated Him, and they were looking for a way to arrest Jesus and kill Him. During this time period Jesus was in the home of a man known as Simon. Jesus was sharing a meal with Simon and the others who were present that day. Suddenly Mark chapter fourteen verse three tells us that "a woman came in with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on His head." We know from this same account in the Gospel of John that this woman was Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha. John chapter twelve verse three tells us that Mary poured the perfume "on Jesus' feet and wiped His feet with her hair."
The perfume Mary poured on Jesus' head and feet was made of a delightfully pleasant smelling oil extracted from a root of a plant grown mainly in India and was very expensive. In fact, John chapter twelve verse three goes on to say, "the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume." This action on Mary's part showed her deep and overflowing devotion and love for the Lord Jesus. It also showed Mary's humility. Mary was not concerned about what others thought about her action. She was only concerned about showing her love for her Lord.
Some of those present, however, were indignant about this and were saying that the money could have been given to the poor. We know from John's Gospel account of this same story that the main person who was objecting to this display of love on the part of Mary was Judas Iscariot. Judas Iscariot was the man who right after this incident went out and betrayed Jesus to the religious leaders of that day. Others were also rebuking Mary for her act of love to Jesus; but Jesus said to them in Mark chapter fourteen verses six through nine, "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to Me. The poor you will always have with you, and your can help them any time you want. But you will not always have Me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for My burial. I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she had done will also be told, in memory of her."
While others rebuked Mary for her act of love, Jesus praised her. Mary gave all she could to show her love for the Lord. Can we say the same for ourselves? Do we give our all to the Lord? The Lord wants our time, our talents, our lives, and our all. Jesus wants the the sweet fragrance of our Christ-like actions and attitudes to fill our world around us, so that others see Jesus in us.
Our Lord wants us to be consumed with the desire to bring glory and honor to Him. Our Lord wants us to be consumed with our love relationship with Him. Our lives must be poured out in gratitude to the Lord for what He has done for us. Our Lord Jesus poured out His life for us. Should we not give our all to Him in gratitude and love for His gift of salvation to us? Our selfish wants and desires must diminish and be extinguished, and our consuming desire must be that we may live to reflect Christ's holiness in our lives. John chapter three verse thirty says, "He must become greater; I must become less." May it be our supreme desire that there will be less of self and our selfish desires in our lives. Instead may our lives be poured out for the Lord for His glory and honor!
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