March 29 – Mark 14:1-11
We love because He first loved us. ~ 1 John 4:19 (NIV)

The contrast between the religious leaders and the woman who anointed Jesus is striking. As the men who were supposed to know God best were plotting to kill the Son of God Himself (v. 1), the unnamed woman was offering Him her most prized possession (v. 3). Some commentators believe that the woman is Mary of Bethany (Martha and Lazarus’s sister) and that this account parallels John 12. However, John 12 says Mary anointed Jesus before Palm Sunday at Lazarus’s home, and this anointing appears to take place after Palm Sunday in the house of Simon the Leper. (It is possible that Simon the Leper is the father of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.) In any case, whether the woman is or is not Mary of Bethany, we can learn from her. Though she would not have had the education of the religious leaders, she recognized God while the educated men missed Him entirely.
The offering of the alabaster jar of pure nard was no small thing. It was likely the woman’s life savings, maybe even a family heirloom. (People of this time often saved money by investing it in ointments like this that would maintain or even increase in value.) So, the woman sacrificed her wealth out of her love for Jesus—a love which could only be inspired by an encounter with His love. Scripture tells us, “We love because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Until our hearts are touched and softened by Christ’s love, we are incapable of recognizing and sharing that love. The woman’s heart had been transformed, and her gratitude toward Jesus is apparent in her gift. Not only that, but her sensitivity to His mission is apparent as well.
Jesus says, “She poured perfume on My body beforehand to prepare for My burial” (v. 8b). In some way, the woman sensed the heaviness weighing on Jesus in these few days before the Crucifixion, and her heart went out to Him in this prophetic and loving act. As Jesus said, “She did what she could” (v. 8a) in response to His love for her and to the sorrow He carried as He looked toward the cross. Jesus commended her for this, silencing the indignation of those who felt the perfume could have been sold to benefit the poor (vv. 4-5). This was a very personal and relational gift from the woman’s heart, given with great love. God receives such gifts with joy.
After she gave her gift, those around her criticized her, and Judas left to betray Jesus. So, not only do we get the contrast of the woman’s heart with the hearts of the religious leaders but also with the hearts of some of Jesus’ own disciples. The woman had a sensitivity to Christ that others lacked, and it was all because of her love for Him. May we all learn from her.
Draw near to Christ today, consider His great love for you, and respond from your heart to His love. As you enter into this Holy Week, look for ways to “anoint Him” in response to His love for you. Since He is no longer with us bodily, an appropriate way to anoint Him is to love and serve others in His name (see Matthew 25:40). However you respond to the Lord this week, remember His great love for you as He went to the cross and let that love spill out of your heart in your interactions with Him and others.
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