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While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.

Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.

“Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” – Mark 14:3-9

Jesus is nearing the end of his earthly ministry and on this day (two days before the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread) he is in Bethany, just outside Jerusalem, while in the holy city itself the plot by the religious powers-that-be to secretly arrest and kill him thickens.

In the home of Simon, the Leper, Jesus was reclining at the table and a woman (identified as Mary in John 12:3) came with a jar of very expensive perfume. She didn’t hold back by spraying; she broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. As you would expect, John says “the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume” (John 12:3). Some of those present protested indignantly (in a manner indicating anger or annoyance at something perceived as unfair). Matthew says they were disciples (Matthew 26:8); John clearly fingers Judas Iscariot (John 12:4). They said, “Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” They were so repulsed by this “waste” that they couldn’t hold back or pretend, ‘they rebuked her harshly’.

Better Than Jesus? 

The indignant opponents to the outpouring of an expensive perfume on Jesus were not the Pharisees or the Chief Priests —those were scheming about two miles away in Jerusalem. The opponents were disciples, those who had left everything and followed Jesus fulltime. To them, it was okay to follow him but such an outpouring of expensive resources was a devotion taken too far. They felt that the correct item to spend a year’s worth of wages on was charity. Charity to the poor was more worthy to them than the Son of God. The applause that comes with charity can be quite loud and enticing.

This attitude of the disciples is not uncommon. Haven’t you met people who go to church but criticize those who make large offerings to the course of the kingdom? “The Pastor is fleecing them of their money”, they protest. Agreed, there are wolves in sheep clothing who are out to devour the flock, but the genuine work of God also does require large amounts of money. Some will tell you that you pray for too long yet they conveniently forget that the Jesus who died for them spent whole nights in prayer. Others think that daily bible reading is a highway to fanaticism, but they are on the internet every day or by newspaper stands reading things with no eternal consequence. Perhaps you are a parent who is proud and excited when your child devotes themselves to their academics and wins laurels, but you are opposed to the idea of any of them going into fulltime ministry; you think it is a waste of their talents on a vocation that doesn’t pay well. That even goes too far, ordinary commitment to a student’s fellowship and you are complaining about them being overzealous. Yes, they should balance their time well but that’s not what you’re protesting against. When people resign their employments and go on to become elected politicians, or are appointed into high public office, they are applauded but the same is not true for a resignation from secular employment to give one’s time, energy and resources to the cause of Christ. You think all that education is better employed elsewhere than giving it all up for the sake of Christ. Anything and everything but Jesus. The people in Simon’s house felt charity was worthier of an expense than Jesus, what do you think is worth more than him? To Mary, Jesus was worth every shekel and more.

A Beautiful Thing to Do

“Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me” was the Lord’s response to their protests. For once, extravagance found its rightful place. Who else is more worthy of an anointing than the one anointed by God himself without measure? Jesus said to leave her alone, that she had done a beautiful thing.

If you are not spent on Jesus, you will be spent on something less than him. Choose wisely, choose Jesus!

Are you pouring out your expensive stuff — time, talents, gifts, energy, money and other resources —on Jesus and the world around you, nay, even Christians, are rebuking you for it? Stay the course, let them leave you alone, you are doing a beautiful thing. There is nothing more beautiful than to be “wasted” on the Rose of Sharon, the Lily of the Valley, Jesus the Bright Morning Star. Spend as much time with him as you can. Listen to music that glorifies him and sing along as you rehearse that which you will do in eternity. Hold not back your resources for the cause of him who gave up the privileges of deity, became a man, suffered, died and resurrected for you. Serve him who took on the form of a servant for an unworthy sinner like you. We say ‘one good turn deserves another’; where better than to give back to him. Beloved, it is “a beautiful thing” to be “wasted’ on Jesus, let no one tell you otherwise. No one or cause is more worthy. If you are not spent on Jesus, you will be spent on something less than him. Choose wisely, choose Jesus!

Available for Only a While

Following the commendation of the woman is a statement that in my ears sounds like a warning: “The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me.” The time that you have to do something beautiful for Jesus is not unlimited. Then, he was close to the end of his time on earth and he told the people “you will not always have me.” 

The time that you have to do something beautiful for Jesus is not unlimited

Friend, Jesus may be eternal but you are not; you will not always have him. You will not always have the opportunity to break whatever your own ‘alabaster jar’ may be that God has put in your hands and pour out its content on Jesus. Earlier, Jesus said, “As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work” (John 9:4). His night was his death and the end of his time here on earth and the cessation of all earthly opportunities. If Jesus could be limited by the “night”, how much more you? Your ‘night’ may be your graduation from that school and the end of opportunity to serve God’s purpose on that campus; it may be your transfer or retirement from that office; it may be the failure of physical strength with age that no longer permits you to do certain things, no matter how strong your desire is. Whatever stops you from doing a work is your own night and Jesus says it is coming. God has established in his creation that night surely follows day. Work while it is day, for night cometh.

Just two chapters later, in Mark 16, three faithful women, who had been following Jesus, “bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body” (Mark 16:1). They found only an angel —Jesus himself had risen from the dead. Waste of money. Remember he said they would not always have him. They had good intentions, but the time for that had passed. Mary broke her jar at the right time, they didn’t. They wanted to work when the night had already come. It don’t work that way. “Waste” your ‘perfume’ on him now before night comes.

Blind to the Value of Jesus

Perhaps the bigger tragedy here is what Judas went out to do after Jesus was anointed. John says Judas’ indignation actually betrayed his true motives: “He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it” (John 12:6). He had been on this path of sin for a long time and his duplicity was coming to a head. Judas went to the chief priests and agreed a fee to betray the master to them —thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:15). That was the price for a slave (Exodus 21:32). For Judas, a perfume worth a year’s wages was too expensive to be poured out on Christ; Jesus to him was worth no more than a slave. 

Johnathon Bowers comments: “Notice how quickly Judas and his fellow grumblers are able to appraise the value of the ointment at Simon’s house. Like veteran pawnbrokers, they could intuit at a glance how much something was worth. The nard had barely left the flask before they were calculating, “This ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii” (Mark 14:5). And yet, the irony of Mark 14 is that Judas could see the value of the ointment rolling down Jesus’s head, but he couldn’t see the value of Jesus. He was a pawnbroker with cataracts. That’s why he took such offense at the woman. The woman, on the other hand, could see both the value of the ointment and the value of Jesus. That’s why she broke the flask.”

And yet, the irony of Mark 14 is that Judas could see the value of the ointment rolling down Jesus’s head, but he couldn’t see the value of Jesus

This episode calls to mind Paul’s warning about the love of money: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Timothy 6:10).

A Message Worthy to be Preached Endlessly

It is not all doom and gloom. The woman’s correct valuation of the infinite worth and beauty of Jesus —a beauty deserving of her best—is a message that Jesus said will be preached for all time. He recommended this act of worship to the applause of the church in all ages: “wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him” (Hebrews 6:10). Those who honour Christ he will honour.

Wouldn’t you rather align your own life with such a message? The love of Jesus in a heart is the antidote to the tyranny of money. If you desire heaven’s commendation, if you want to put your resources to the highest and best use possible, then do a beautiful thing — “waste” them on Jesus.