The Anointing of Jesus
John 12:1-11
It must have been a joyful occasion as Jesus shared a meal with His friends. Mary, Martha, and Lazarus are mentioned throughout the gospels and can be understood as friends whom Jesus loved (John 11:5). In chapter eleven, Jesus performs a miracle, famously raising Lazarus from the dead. As an act of gratitude and certainly of celebration, Lazarus and his sisters invited Jesus and his disciples into their home to share a meal.
Though full of immeasurable power over all things, Jesus desired to sit at the table of those He loved. Out of those sharing the meal with Him, Mary, the sister of Lazarus, was significantly impacted by being in proximity to Jesus. Verse three emphasizes Mary’s deep love for Him. By pouring perfume upon the feet of Jesus, Mary portrays three attributes of a heavenly faith: a heart of love, a posture of humility, and earnest devotion.
In a social situation such as this one, it would have been uncommon for a Jewish woman to expose her hair in the way that Mary did when washing the feet of Jesus. Rather than attending to her reputation with the other guests, Mary cared only that she might display her commitment to Jesus. Mary’s great love was Jesus–she had seen Him raise her brother from death to life and understood him as the Son of God, the means to true salvation (11:27). Because of this, she was unbothered by the gaze of the gathering.
Think of a time when you invited people over and had to make sure every detail was perfect: the food, the ambiance, the table arrangement–all important things to pay attention to. But for Mary, she simply wanted to be near Jesus. Mary takes a posture of humility. To wash the feet of a guest was a lowly task, one typically for a servant. There are many postures that Mary may have been able to take in this situation, but she chose this one. This is not the first time we see her taking a posture of sitting at His feet (Luke 10:38-42).
Mary offers an incredible gift to Jesus. According to our text, the expensive perfume was worth a year’s wages. In the pouring of perfume, Mary exhibits a deep devotion to the one whom she loves. For Mary, even a great treasure such as this was nothing in comparison to the treasure she found in Jesus. She knew He was worthy to receive all she could give.
Incongruous to Mary’s display of love, Judas’ response to her exposes his own wicked heart. While Mary’s heart was full of deep love for Jesus, Judas was full of greed. While Mary’s posture was one of humility, Judas’ was one of self-concern. While Mary’s devotion was to give Jesus her greatest treasure, Judas’ was for money. All of these concerns are inwardly focused. Though we may desire closeness with Jesus, our hearts can also have an inward focus more often than we may care to admit.
Remember that even when we are selfish, inwardly focused, and distracted, His forgiveness is abundant.
In verse eight, Jesus alludes to the reality that He would not always be physically present with His followers. As the celebration of Passover approached, the Israelites would have been preparing to make a great sacrifice to their Lord. We may offer God our greatest offering, but He is even more pleased when He sees the blood of our perfect Jesus as the ultimate sacrifice and appeasement. The truth is that our offering will always be stained by sin. The blood of Jesus, however, is perfect, without blemish, and is the only way we can attain communion with our Holy God. Let us bring our gifts to Him while also understanding that He Himself is our only means to salvation.
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
When we are found in His grace, it covers us.
Mary recognized the power of Jesus to raise Lazarus from the dead, His compassion for the brokenhearted, and His ability to forgive sins. Jesus’ love for Mary and her family impacted her so deeply that she was stirred to pour out her greatest treasure upon His feet. May we be like Mary, full of desire, love, and devotion for our Lord. May we be personally impacted by His sacrifice for us and have no other desire but to sit at His feet in gratitude. But when we don’t, remember that He loves even the greatest sinner. Today, devote yourself to loving Him and experiencing His love. Sit with Him, approach Him with thanksgiving, rest in Him. If this is hard for you, ask Him to help you.
