Mark 14:3-8 "And being in Bethany in the
house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an
alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box,
and poured it on his head. (4) And there were some that had indignation
within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made?
(5) For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence,
and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her. (6)
And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work
on me. (7) For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye
will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. (8) She hath
done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the
burying."
The time of Jesus' death is approaching. We are told this is the home of Simon the leper. It's interesting how many things are left out of the narrative such as, "Who is Simon the leper?" I realize my mind goes in places that others may not dare to tread, but I have to wonder what is the connection between Jesus and this Simon? We know there was a leper who came to Jesus, bowed down, worshipped, and confessed the power of Jesus to heal and cleanse him. It is amazing to think how this man would have been restored as Jesus reached out to touch him. I wonder if this was the same man. He certainly would have opened his home to Jesus after having received such a miraculous display of healing and love.
But this time there is another who comes into the picture as she ministers unto Jesus. I understand Jesus said He did not come to be ministered unto; rather, He came to minister. But it seems from time to time there are breaths of fresh air that comes as individuals give back to the Lord. I think of the little boy with five loaves of bread and two small fishes as one such time when Jesus is ministered unto by this offering of love from such a young one. In today's verses, we see Jesus being ministered unto by "a woman having an alabaster box of ointment." We are not given her name. From Mark's account, we know nothing about her other than she has a great love and sense of wanting to do something for Jesus.
"She brake the box." As you read these words, you can know this woman was not going to hold anything back as she served the Lord. She did not take the top off in such a manner that she could pour a little out and then take the rest back home. She gave it all to Jesus. I have to believe that the clothing of Jesus held the aroma of this ointment through the next days as He endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself. As so often happens, there were those who wanted to criticize her for this act of love. John's account tells us it was Judas who asked why this ointment was not sold and the money given to the poor. John also tells us that Judas did not say that because he cared for the poor; rather, he loved money.
I smile when I read Jesus' reply. He is very straight to the point and there can be no discussion as to what he meant. Jesus said, "Let her alone." Don't you love it? Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? "She hath done what she could."
As we think on these verses, I have to ask myself, "Have I done what I could in serving my Lord?" Is there more that I need to be doing? Can I look around and see opportunities to serve that I have neglected? Then as I ask myself those questions, I also have to ask, "Have I held anything back?" Did I "knock the top off it" when I began to try to serve the Lord? May we all ask ourselves these questions? What is our approach as we seek to know what the Lord would have us do?
The time of Jesus' death is approaching. We are told this is the home of Simon the leper. It's interesting how many things are left out of the narrative such as, "Who is Simon the leper?" I realize my mind goes in places that others may not dare to tread, but I have to wonder what is the connection between Jesus and this Simon? We know there was a leper who came to Jesus, bowed down, worshipped, and confessed the power of Jesus to heal and cleanse him. It is amazing to think how this man would have been restored as Jesus reached out to touch him. I wonder if this was the same man. He certainly would have opened his home to Jesus after having received such a miraculous display of healing and love.
But this time there is another who comes into the picture as she ministers unto Jesus. I understand Jesus said He did not come to be ministered unto; rather, He came to minister. But it seems from time to time there are breaths of fresh air that comes as individuals give back to the Lord. I think of the little boy with five loaves of bread and two small fishes as one such time when Jesus is ministered unto by this offering of love from such a young one. In today's verses, we see Jesus being ministered unto by "a woman having an alabaster box of ointment." We are not given her name. From Mark's account, we know nothing about her other than she has a great love and sense of wanting to do something for Jesus.
"She brake the box." As you read these words, you can know this woman was not going to hold anything back as she served the Lord. She did not take the top off in such a manner that she could pour a little out and then take the rest back home. She gave it all to Jesus. I have to believe that the clothing of Jesus held the aroma of this ointment through the next days as He endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself. As so often happens, there were those who wanted to criticize her for this act of love. John's account tells us it was Judas who asked why this ointment was not sold and the money given to the poor. John also tells us that Judas did not say that because he cared for the poor; rather, he loved money.
I smile when I read Jesus' reply. He is very straight to the point and there can be no discussion as to what he meant. Jesus said, "Let her alone." Don't you love it? Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? "She hath done what she could."
As we think on these verses, I have to ask myself, "Have I done what I could in serving my Lord?" Is there more that I need to be doing? Can I look around and see opportunities to serve that I have neglected? Then as I ask myself those questions, I also have to ask, "Have I held anything back?" Did I "knock the top off it" when I began to try to serve the Lord? May we all ask ourselves these questions? What is our approach as we seek to know what the Lord would have us do?