She poured perfume to prepare for my burial (Mark 14a)

 

Mark 14:1-11

Key Verse 14: 8 She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial.

How can a man have a relationship with God, the creator, who is the one holy and righteous? Have you had a relationship with Him in a meaningful way? We make various efforts to come to the terms of God. But that is not easy.

When Israel committed themselves to be the people of God, God told them that if they offer

burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to cause His name to be honored, then He will come to you and bless you. (Exo 20:24)

Today’s story tells us about a woman who believed Jesus in his word and showed her honor to him with all her heart by pouring out a bottle of pure nard. While criticism flew high among the disciples, Jesus commended her that she did a beautiful thing to him. For the first time in his ministry, Jesus commended someone to have done a beautiful thing, especially beautiful thing to him. Strikingly what she did for Jesus seems to embody the spirit that God demanded of His people Israel, i.e., causing his name honored. If Jesus came to restore the hearts of God’s people back to him, and this was the last day of Jesus’ work as the teacher for the nation, then Jesus’ praise and her expression of her faith and commitment to Jesus bear a great witness to us of how we can have a meaningful relationship with Him.  

A.     The time of the Passover was approaching (1-2)

1 Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him. 2 "But not during the Feast," they said, "or the people may riot."

The day of Passover starts on Thursday evening (i.e., Friday according to the Jewish calendar) of the second week of the first month. This is the day to commemorate God’s deliverance of his people from the slavery in Egypt. God did this by taking the lives of all firstborns of Egypt while His angel of death passed over all the firstborns of Israel. In this way, God showed that he has power to take lives of men when one does not listen to him; Also at the same time, he demonstrated that to he would protect His chosen people’s lives. Simply God demonstrated that he has life of men and can and will save those whom He chose to save.
The Passover must be followed by a week of the feast of the Unleavened Bread. This time is the time to celebrate the deliverance from slavery and becoming God’s people. This celebration was typified by removing yeast. To do so, they must remove yeast from any place in the house and must eat bread that does not have yeast. Symbolically, this was to express their will to be pure before God who saved them by letting the angel of death passing over their houses.

So this season must be remembered by two: first thanksgiving to the Lord who save them from the power of death and in response to this grace, their commitment to live a pure life without any sinfulness.

 

If it is summed up, the time of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened bread is the time to look upon themselves how they were saved by God’s mercy and make a decision to conform to the will of God who is called them to be His people.

As they commemorate the Passover, this spirit must flow in the hearts of everyone. But at this time, the leaders of the nation, the chief priests and teachers of the Law set their plan to arrest and kill Jesus. This speaks of one thing, their evil nature stood squarely in opposition to the purpose and spirit of the Passover and feast of the Unleavened bread.  Simply they were defying God’s purpose that He had set in the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread. At the same time, this action implicitly alludes that they rejected the salvation that God would impart to them through the Passover. The irony was that they were not willing to kill Jesus during this festive season. Yet they committed a murder of the Son of God being driven by their desire to uphold their power and authority    

We can see this event in relation to the Passover. At the same time, we are to look at this story as the conclusion of Jesus’ ministry in public for Jesus did not appear to the public until he stood before the Sanhedrin.

B.     A woman poured out a bottle of pure nard on Jesus’ head (3-5)

3 While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.

After a long journey that started from Galilee, Jesus finally entered Jerusalem at the beginning of the week of the Passover.  At that time a large crowd welcomed him with Hosana who comes in the name of the Lord. Since then, about 3 days passed by. This was Wednesday of the week, two days before the Passover (that begins at the sunset on Thursday).

According to John (12:1-8), Jesus came to Bethany 6 days before the Passover, implying that Bethany was used as the staging ground for Jesus and his disciples during the week before the Passover. On Wednesday, two days before the Passover, Jesus was at the house of Simon, the Leper. John notes that dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. If we combine the information given by John and Mark, it was the house of Mary and Martha, and Lazarus whom Jesus raised from death. Simon was their father and though he was leper before and yet was healed sometime before.

Mark says that a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume. Mark’s description is very dry and speaks only facts that were necessary to convey the essence.  A woman was Mary. Yet to Mark, it was just a woman for dinner was usually for men only.  Women were not to join with men at the dinner table esp. when many guests came. They were to serve the table and were to remain behind the scene. But suddenly Mary came up behind Jesus with a bottle of pure nard. It was a very expensive perfume and the fragrance is so good and powerful that only a few drops might be good enough for each occasion. But she broke the jar and poured out the perfume on his head.

Until this time, they were eating or drinking and talking and laughing. But as she was pouring out the nard, all stopped what they were doing and watched what was happening; The smell of the fragrance was spreading and thick and strong, filling the entire house. Even while all attention was given to her, she was still holding the bottle to let the fragrance trickle-down drip by drip on Jesus' head.

4 Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, "Why this waste of perfume? 5 It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor." And they rebuked her harshly.

The response of the guest was very strong and critical of what she did. In John, it was Judas criticized her. But here some of the guests went along with this criticism. She wasted so much money, more than 40-50k dollar- worth(a year’s wage) that would not change even a little bit on Jesus’ life. Even one-tenth of her perfume was more than enough to express her love and honor to Jesus. They were absolutely right in their thoughts for they had a better idea or smarter than her and they were right in an understanding of what she did.  But Jesus did not think otherwise.

C.     Jesus was happy with her faith

6 "Leave her alone," said Jesus. "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me.

Jesus suddenly intervened. He said in a commanding voice “Leave her alone!” Also, he rebuked them, “why are you bothering her?”  Jesus was somewhat unhappy about their chant. Why? What they were doing to her was totally wrong or of ignorance. Actually, she has done a beautiful thing to Jesus.

They did not have any idea of the depth of beauty or good that she attributed to Jesus. Can we measure good or beauty with money? We do this often as these people did. But actually, it is not possible to measure what is in the heart of someone. Because it is immeasurable by nature, we are quick to give it a material value or has a habit of assigning it measurability; through money. In this way, an invisible and immeasurable thing becomes visible and tangible.

We do this every day; We can guestimate what is inside of one’s heart by what she/he does, virtually, that is impossible. By doing so, more often than not, we thoroughly fail to appreciate fully what went on in the depth of one’s heart. Knowingly and unknowingly our way of thinking and our way of living are well saturated with pragmatism, utilitarianism, and materialism. By themselves are ok or even good in daily living for we are living in the material world. But if pragmatism, utilitarianism, and materialism form the mainstream of our thought and understanding, then it would be a big problem.  Because more oftentimes, it fails to appreciate what is in one’s heart. Unlike animals, we have spirit. Our spirit governs our lives. When we pray to the Lord, the primary concern of our prayer is or should be spiritual matters.

God is spirit and he gave us his spirit; we became a spiritual being. But long before, our spirit was cut off from God. Or in our sin and pride, we cut off ourselves from the spirit of God. The result is this—we all walk around devoid of the spirit of God. Within what we have, we feel good, right and perfect, and able. But unless we are united with God, the spirit of truth, we cannot be right, or cannot feel good or perfect.

14 The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. (1 Cor 2)

These disciples were detached from the Spirit that they could not measure that could only be measured by spirit. Because of this, they felt they were perfectly right in their assessment of the situation and they bothered her together. When one speaks, it might be right or possibly wrong. When two come up together speaks for the same understanding, most likely they are right. When three think the same way, then they would fully be convinced that they have absolute truth. This is an awful reality that we are living in. We all were at one point lived or behaved in such a way.

But Jesus said to them in a stern voice; "Leave her alone," said Jesus. "Why are you bothering her?

Jesus knew the essence of the spirit in her that compelled her to pour out a pint of pure nard on Jesus. Jesus knew her heart, her mind and her understanding. What are they?

1)     Mary understood the time and the situation of Jesus—his plan and his will  

The disciples, especially Judas, did not know the time of Jesus’ life. Simply they failed to see the significance of what Jesus was about to do.

7 The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me.

The disciples did not accept and believed what Jesus said; he would suffer under the religious leaders and die, and then rise. Many of them were still lingering in between a doubt if this would come and fear if it should come. They had seen Jesus’ power and authority. They all knew that in such power and authority, he could defeat any powers, including the powers of all religious leaders, and even Roman power.  Nevertheless, Jesus kept on saying that he would suffer and die in the hands of the religious leaders. Because of this, they did not feel the importance of this time; time to suffer and die, and time to depart them for good.

But Mary believed what Jesus had said repeatedly and came to sense the time was near, at hand.

Then, what was her spirit that accorded with the spirit of Christ?

2)     Mary Believed and knew that Jesus was going to die soon.

⁸ She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial.

While the disciples were in between what they believed and what Jesus told them about his suffering and death, Mary knew firmly that he would die and that his death was impending. She knew what would entail surrounding death for she remembered vividly the struggles and death of her brother. Also, Jesus spoke about his death three times (8:31; 9:31; 10:33-34). Out of these three, in the last one (10:33-34), Jesus revealed his suffering in more detail than the previous two.

33 “We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, 34 who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.” (Mark 10)

What does this tell us about her? Mary was so sure of his suffering and death. She had great empathy for Jesus’ suffering. As she was with the suffering of Lazarus, so now she was with Jesus’ suffering. Knowing him as the son of God, knowing his love for her, Jesus was so precious to her that nothing she had could measure up to the worthiness of Jesus. Practically she would give her whole life if she could do it! Jesus is worthy of all her being. This was what went on in the depth of her heart. Jesus had the spirit of life-giving and was about to give his life to the sinners. Mary came to sense that spirit as she accepted Jesus’ word. When that spirit came to her heart, she, against all odds, came to Jesus with a bottle of pure nard and broke it. Who among the guests knew this? Jesus spoke up with a stern voice.

“8 She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial.”

3)     Jesus imparted this blessing to her through her brother’s suffering and death

As far as Mark was concerned, she was an anonymous person. But John revealed her identity; she was Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus living in Bethany. Jesus stationed at Bethany from the day Jesus entered Jerusalem receiving a great welcome from a crowd. 

Mary had a unique experience with Jesus. His brother died and Jesus came three days after his death. When Jesus told her sister Martha to remove the stone at the door of the tomb, she hesitated because she thought that foul smell from a dead body would come out. But at this time Jesus said to her, John 11:40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” But when the stone was removed, Jesus called her brother Lazarus and he came out with his burial clothes.

43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen and a cloth around his face.

Mary saw the resurrection of her brother Lazarus; Also, she remembered what Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

As we take the chronology of John, Jesus raised Lazarus just before Jesus entered to Jerusalem (John 11:38-44). For the disciples, Jesus’ suffering and death remained as an uncertain idea, to Mary, his death was a sure thing to come as Jesus said repeatedly. In addition to this, she accepted Jesus’ word, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”. As Jesus raised her brother Lazarus from the dead, he would rise from his death. He has life for God is his father and His father listened to him. When this theme flew in the depth of her heart, her heart was filled with joy, comfort, along with her deep empathy for his suffering and death.

“What else is more precious or valuable than Jesus?” The Savior who has life and saved Lazarus, her brother.  Her mind, heart, and spirit all were with Jesus. In other words, she came to sense the full spirit that Jesus was about to run his life for the sake of his people. Who could understand this? Who had a will to listen to what she came to know? Practically, there was none! Also, how could she express her joy and thanks to the Lord Jesus?

She took out a bottle of pure nard. It was a very, very expensive one. She looked for a moment when she could pour out this to Jesus. As the dinner was being served, everyone seemed to enjoy dinner. While everyone was absorbed with chatting and enjoying fellowship, she came out and broke the jar and began to pour out on him.

4)     Her love and compassion for Jesus was undeterred and undistracted by people’s misunderstandings.

This Starbuck mug holds about 15 oz of coffee. A pint is a little shy of 17oz. This means that she poured out on him more than the amount of the whole cup.  How did she pour out a pint of the pure nard? Did she pour it out in one sweep as we pour out a bucket of water? Highly unlikely! As we read carefully, Mark said that she poured out on Jesus’ head and John said that she poured out on his feet. We have no way of knowing how she did it. But one thing is clear she poured out on his head and also on his feet. What do these two findings suggest? It is pretty sure that she poured out little by little, let the drops of nard flow from his head and then his body and then to his leg and feet. The entire room was filled with fragrance. While she was pouring out over a few or even several minutes, she fixed her eyes on Jesus, his head and body and leg and feet, the body that would suffer and die.  She remembered how his brother Lazarus came out clothed in linen. Jesus, who was sitting before her, was going through a similar path

So Jesus said, “She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial.”

When our spirit accords with the spirit of Christ, the heavenly truth, and heavenly joy fill the depth of our hearts. There comes a deep empathy, and compassion, along with God’s truth. How did her heart accord fully with the spirit of Christ? Let’s make an in-depth look at what she did;

a.      When she broke the jar, she meant to give it all until it is poured out to empty the bottle. Pouring out all is exactly in line with the spirit of Christ who poured out his life for the sins of men. Paul said that he poured out his life like a drink offering ( 2 Tim 4:6)

b.     When she broke the jar, she set her heart to give all to one, Jesus; no one else.

c.      As we noted in these two, a tangible thing like nard, no matter how large amount it may be, cannot be measured up to the fulness of the spirit in her heart. In this respect, Jesus said that she did what she could. Jesus spoke of the fullness of her spirit in love that a pint of pure nard could not be measured up to, though it was so much value to the eyes of the disciples.   

d.     The purpose was to anoint Jesus body that would suffer so much suffering and eventual death—Jesus’ last word that Mark recorded was an agonizing outcry ““Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).  No one fathomed such an agonizing pain and suffering would come to Jesus, the Son of God. But Mary saw his pain and suffering vividly long before his actual suffering.  Jesus only was worthy of all, even more if she had more. Also no one else is worthy of her devotion but Jesus.  

e.      Mary believed that Jesus would rise from the dead. She believed that Jesus would rise from the dead as he raised her brother Lazarus. She remembered how she failed to believe Jesus when he said, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die” (John 11:25)  Also, she remembered Jesus’ rebuke, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” (John 11:40). Resurrection or hope of resurrection is a too distance idea or unreal until we face the power of death at hand. Impending arrest and suffering of Jesus, whom she loved and believed as the Son of God, reminded her of these words of Jesus. She believed these words of Jesus! Jesus is life and has life!

D.     The gospel and what she had done:

9 I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."

Jesus closed this event with his prophetic word concerning this event. Jesus did not commend her for her faith or her devotion to himself. Jesus attached her action to the Gospel. How is the Gospel of Jesus related to the pouring of a bottle of pure nard?  

At the beginning of the book, Mark said this: 1:1  The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. Here good news in Greek is the same word ‘the gospel’. At the end of Jesus’s public ministry, Mary came and anointed Jesus with a pint of pure nard; Her action reflected well the spirit that Jesus ran his life. What she did embodied the essence of the spirit and faith that the message of the Gospel. In other words, when the Gospel of Jesus is preached, God expects such response as Mary did. How then did what Mary did embodied the spirit or totality of the Gospel?  

The most succinct message of the Gospel was delivered by Peter at the time of Pentecost.

Acts 2:36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.

He did preach again at the house of Cornelius.

Acts 10: 39 “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, 40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. (Peter’s at Cornelius’ house)

As we have noted in these two passages, the essence of the Gospel of Jesus is expressed through his suffering, death, and his resurrection. At this time, none of the disciples knew this with conviction. But Mary, through his brother’s death and resurrection, came to see Jesus’ power, his will to suffer, and his being, the Son of God, Messiah fully. What did she do? She put all herself into this. She not only poured out herself but also poured out all that she had and she was. Whenever Gospel is preached, and whenever the message of the Gospel brings its power on those who believe, it brings about such a great impact on the spirit of those who accept. Jesus was the beginner of the life-giving spirit. Mary was the first one who captured and accorded with this, the life-giving spirit in her heart.  And all those who join with Jesus in his death will be imparted with the spirit of Christ, life-giving love and compassion for those who suffer under the power of sin. Mary’s pouring out of pure nard valued one year’s wage speaks out loudly of the richness of the Spirit of Christ.  

Mary was the first one who came to have this spirit. To follow her, Peter, Matthew, Stephen, Paul and so many poured out their lives in their honor for Jesus’ suffering and death, resurrection.  

Paul elucidated this more precisely:

We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. (Rom 6)

Jesus gave all of his life to honor the Father and to redeem us from our sins. He was pouring out His life for us as he suffered on the cross and gave his life to the power of death. Death is the path to life in resurrection and beginning of the life in the Father’s glory.  She knew it and had no reservation in pouring out all whole bottle of perfume, pure nard.

Jesus revealed the truth and his life embodied the spirit that God the father demanded in Exo 20:24.

24 “ ‘Make an altar of earth for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, your sheep and goats and your cattle. Wherever I cause my name to be honored, I will come to you and bless you.

Jesus was the beginner, the full revealer of that spirit, and Mary was the first one who understood and accepted this spirit. The locus of that spirit is in his death and then with his resurrection. It comes to us by faith in His Word, and by submission to His will.

E.      Judas made a decision to sell Jesus to the leaders

10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. 11 They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

Why and how Judas and the high priests saw Jesus differently from this woman. What does it mean to us?

The high priest and the teachers of the Law had one thing on their mind; to keep their power and authority of the nation. For this purpose, the most powerful man of God must be taken down.

They did not fear God and did not believe the teachings of the words of God; Their wellbeing, their power, and their authority were not just the first priority but the utmost priority.

Judas held a doubt if he had to follow Jesus or not. Or if Jesus was the Messiah that he expected him to be? Apparently, he was expecting him to be the new king to establish a new kingdom, independent from Roman Empire. In other words, he did not give his heart to two things; first, he did fear God and God’s will. Second, he did not think about his own sin, or sins of the nation. He sought the power, if Jesus did not come with the power to establish the kingdom, then who? Third, as John noted, he had an utterly materialistic understanding of life; in which no one can see life beyond death. When one does not see anything beyond death, he/she will surely make the same mistake as Judas.

Death is the end of all for those who live by and with the hope in things of the earth. Jesus' commendation of Mary’s act and his explanation made it clear that Jesus would surely die. Judas needed no more hesitation or lingering in between Jesus’ power and his word. Jesus’ statement saying that Mary anointed him for his burial led him to decide easily and quickly. Jesus was not for him and he was not the one whom Judas was waiting for the salvation of the nation.

If you are looking for a better life on earth, or the better life in Christ is the focus of your purpose of faith, then, surely you will fall away sooner or later; Our faith must be anchored in Jesus’ death; In his death, we experience our own death; in His resurrection, we set our meaning and hope the life now and in coming years.

F.      Let’s pour out our lives as a living sacrifice

Jesus’ death is always in our hearts as the truth, as the hope, and as the unending source of life from the Lord. In this hope, let’s pour out the best and rich fragrance of our nard, boldly and courageously upon Jesus’ body that suffered on behalf of us sinners. In order to cause God’s name to be honored, we much accept Jesus’ life and spirit and we will surely have a meaningful and powerful relationship with the Father of all creation.