Jump Start # 3730

John 12:7 “Therefore Jesus said, ‘Let her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of My burial.”

Mary anoints the feet of Jesus. As the room fills with the fragrance of the costly nard, the disciples are filled with anger and disgust with her. What a waste of money. How thoughtless she must have been. It took a lot of courage to wipe the feet of Jesus with her hair. Most Jewish women would not let their hair hang long in the public. And, here, in a room full of men, she is using her hair to dry the feet of Jesus.

This wasn’t the everyday cheap perfume. Judas estimated that the pure nard was worth a year’s wages, 300 denarii. Most of us do not have perfume that costs that much. And, if we did, we wouldn’t use it very often. This was the stuff for very special occasions, such as one’s wedding, or the burial of a family member. Can you imagine having perfume costing $50,000-100,000?

Two thoughts come from this. First, in the previous chapter, Lazarus, Mary’s brother had died. As Jesus, weeping, asks for the stone to be moved from the grave, the reply is that the decaying Lazarus will stink. He’s been dead for four days. Now, here’s the first thought. Why did Mary not use this costly nard on her brother? The short amount of time between John 11 & John 12 would not allow Mary to have purchased the perfume. Did she know and did she believe that Jesus was going to die? Was she holding on to this perfume just for the Lord?

The other thought, our verse reveals, Jesus says that she may KEEP IT for the day of My burial. Evidently, Mary did not use all the perfume on the Lord’s feet. Some would be kept back and used when He was buried. Mark 16, on the resurrection day, women gathered at the tomb to “anoint” Jesus with spices. But, He was not there. He had risen.

Nicodemus had used several pounds of spices to prepare the body of Jesus for burial.

Keep some for the day of My burial.

Some thoughts for us:

First, there would be a future need to honor the Lord. The text tells us that Mary brought a pound of the pure nard. Not all the perfume was used in that room. She would have some left over. Rather than saving it for her own wedding someday, the Lord put in an order or action or a call for the rest of the perfume. Use it for My burial. There would be a future need for your gift.

We gather on a Sunday to honor and praise the Lord. We lift our voices in song and prayer to our wonderful Savior. But we do not use all our praise. We do not use all the perfume. In the future, even the next day, this day, we need to honor our Lord. Honoring the Lord is not a one time event. It is a lifestyle.

Second, the Lord put the use of the nard above helping the poor or even any personal use that Mary may have thought of. Giving some to the Lord and keeping some for ourselves, seems fair. That’s not what the Lord said. Selling the perfume to give to the poor, seems even more reasonable. I could see myself raising my hand in favor of that. But how we think things ought to be done is not how the Lord sees things. Keep it for my burial, was His instructions about the perfume.

Third, Judas had evil and wicked ideas about Mary’s gift. Judas had sticky fingers and was stealing from the Lord. Sell the perfume and give it to the poor was not what Judas had in mind. Sell the perfume and that will give the opportunity for him to steal even more from the Lord. In the midst of a wonderful, God honoring moment, some had selfish and wicked ideas.

Even today, in the midst of honoring God, some can have evil accusations about those who lead us in worship or those who are trying to honor God. Around Jesus, was some whose hearts were not pure. And, it shouldn’t surprise us that the same is true today. We can allow the wrong and evil things that are said to stop us or we can continue on honoring the Lord. Mary doesn’t speak in this section. The Lord defends her. The shame, guilt and wrong that Judas tried to place upon Mary did not lessen the amazing gift of love that she showed. She anointed Jesus. Judas didn’t. She wiped the Lord’s feet with her hair. Judas didn’t. She bowed at the feet of Jesus. Judas didn’t. She honored Jesus. Judas didn’t.

Don’t let those whose hearts are not right stop you from doing what you know is good and Biblical. Those that complain are many. Those that sit on the sidelines doing nothing are many. Those that like to tell others what to do are many.

Mary is among the few who honored the Lord. Mary did what was right.

Instead of a pound of pure nard, what you have is a pure heart to offer the Lord. Don’t let those around you keep you from doing what is right and noble.

And, today, there isn’t much good we can say about Judas. But, Mary, what a wonderful example for us.

Keep it for the day of my burial.

Roger