Mark 14:1-11
Jesus Anointed at Bethany


The plot to kill Jesus thickens in this passage. The chief priests are looking for a way to arrest Jesus, but they don't want to do it during the Passover feast, for fear of a riot. Meanwhile, Jesus is having dinner in the home of Simon the Leper, when a woman comes to show her love for Jesus by pouring expensive perfume on his head. When others protested about the waste of money this was, Jesus chided them by saying she had done a beautiful thing for him, and in fact was preparing his body for burial. He added that this act would be remembered wherever the gospel would be preached throughout the world.

At this time, Judas, one of the 12 disciples, left to go to the chief priests to betray Jesus. Perhaps he was disillusioned with Jesus at this point--maybe he had hoped for a Messiah who would overthrow the Roman government. Perhaps he saw this "waste" of money, in his view, as the last straw.

I've often thought that the aroma of the perfume must have lingered for days, and perhaps this was the one physical comfort Jesus had on the cross--the lingering scent of the love poured out by this woman who adored Jesus.

How often am I willing to make a sacrifice, like this woman did--not only being concerned only about my Lord and not what others think, but also a sacrifice that costs me personally, as this expensive perfume surely did. I want to give myself to him, to do something that lasts, that can linger, to comfort those Jesus loves, and in doing so, showing my adoration for him.

- posted by Suzi @ 7:40 AM