Pour out your best perfume before God every day.
Day 3: Jesus Is Anointed At Bethany
Tuesday
Mark 14:1-9 NLT
1 It was now two days before Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The leading priests and the teachers of religious law were still looking for an opportunity to capture Jesus secretly and kill him. 2 “But not during the Passover celebration,” they agreed, “or the people may riot.”
3 Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy. While he was eating, a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard. She broke open the jar and poured the perfume over his head.
4 Some of those at the table were indignant. “Why waste such expensive perfume?” they asked. 5 “It could have been sold for a year’s wages and the money given to the poor!” So they scolded her harshly.
6 But Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. Why criticize her for doing such a good thing to me? 7 You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want to. But you will not always have me. 8 She has done what she could and has anointed my body for burial ahead of time. 9 I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.”
This account of Jesus being anointed with this expensive perfume by a woman is mentioned in each of the four Gospels. In each account, this woman pours precious perfume as an extravagant act of worship. This woman recognized Jesus' value and expressed her love and devotion to Him.
Of course, she knew how much monetary value this perfume had. She could have used that money to pay her bills or buy something she wanted, but she knew that true value in life is not found in money or riches. If she had Jesus, she had everything she needed. That was worth more than any other treasure on earth.
According to statistics, the reality is that the people with the most wealth and fame in the world are often the emptiest people inside. It is proof that you can have everything you want in this world, but even that won't fulfill you. Christ is the one who makes us whole, and this woman knew it.
While others viewed that perfume as a monetary gain, she saw an opportunity to worship and surrender her best to the Messiah, the Creator of the universe, her Savior. Although this woman may not have fully understood the messianic significance of her anointing, she had come to appreciate the value of Christ more than anyone else in that room.
What value does Jesus have in your life? Have you surrendered everything to Him? Do you recognize that everything you have comes from Him? Are you giving Him your best?
Our Savior, our Creator, deserves our best. We must surrender ourselves completely to the Lord in worship. Don't limit yourself. Don't hold back. Pour out your best perfume before Him every day.
REFLECT: What can you learn from this woman? How can you apply it to your life? What do you value most in this life? What value does Jesus have in your life? Are you giving Him the best of yourself? What part of your life do you still have to surrender to God? What perfume do you have that you can pour out to Christ?
Take a few minutes to think about this and right your reflections in a notebook or in your notes app.