She was one of the 6 women named Mary in Christ’s life. She lived in her sister’s home and was most certainly cut from a different branch than Martha. She appears 3 times in the Gospels: 1- sitting at Jesus’ feet, Lk 10:38-42; 2- at Lazarus’ death and resurrection, Jn 11; 3- her anointing of Jesus, Jn 12:1-8; Mt 26:6-13; Mk 14:3-5. Her fame centered on the anointing of Jesus. Jn 11:2 And her anointing was so well-known that it is mentioned in 3 of the 4 Gospels.
The account of her anointing began in the home of Simon the Leper, no doubt one of the many lepers Jesus had healed, else no Jew could have attended the dinner. Lev 13-14 The occasion? A special dinner in Jesus’ honor with Martha as the caterer in charge. Two celebrities graced the dinner: Jesus and Lazarus. Since his resurrection, Lazarus had become extremely well-known; not on par with Jesus, but famous.
The meal was interrupted when “Mary took an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, about a pint of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on Jesus’ head as he was reclining at the table. She poured it on Jesus’ feet (and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.”
The disciples were once again oblivious to the spirituality of an event and reprimanded Mary for being wasteful. (Judas was the mouthiest, with the most wicked heart.) Since they failed to grasp that this was a God-ordained, prophetic event, Jesus brought it to their attention: “When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial.”
Mary probably didn’t realize the prophetic significance, she was just wrapped up in His presence, like she had been when she sat at His feet, hanging on His every word. Lk 10:38-42
But from Father God’s perspective it was an evening of prophecy.
First, Mary gave her everything to anoint Jesus. Jesus would give His everything on Calvary, body and blood, to rescue humanity.
Second, Mary began by pouring the perfume on Jesus head. This was Israel’s custom when appointing a new king. Jesus would confirm to Pilate that He was a King by saying, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came to the world is to testify to the truth.”
Third, “She poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair.” Nothing could have better illustrated her devotion and humility than this. Jesus would illustrate His devotion to the Father’s will at Golgotha, when “he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!” Phil 2:8
One other thing was uniquely special about Mary’s anointing: NO TEARS. Earlier in His ministry, Jesus had been anointed by a woman who had lived a life of immorality. Lk 7:37-38
“… she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.” Why the profuse weeping? Her tears were tears of repentance, seeking forgiveness. She received that gift when Jesus said, “Your sins are forgiven.”
Mary was already one of Jesus’ faithful followers, she had repented long before. Therefore, NO TEARS, simply JOY at the feet of her Savior and LORD. May we all follow Mary’s life of devotion, thrilling at His presence in our life and hanging on His every word. And as Jesus proclaimed, once again, in this article, “what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”
Mike “Pawdad” Sublett, Pastor @ Hi-Land Christian Church, Pampa, Texas 79065, 630-730-8015
