PURE LOVE:
Some Interesting Things About Mary’s Anointing;
John 12: 10 they are not only planning to kill Jesus, but now they decide to kill Lazarus also.
It was (v. 11) because of raising Lazarus from the dead many believed in Jesus
The bottle of perfume was worth a year wages! It is Judas, the future betrayer of Christ, who points this out, and all the disciples and others said “what a waste” and were indignant [Matthew 26:8; Mark 14:4] at her anointing.]
Judas says money could have been give to the poor.
Interesting also what is said about Judas. He is a thief, stole from the money collected to help the poor, widows, orphans, etc.
Jesus’ answer – they always will have the poor, but will not always have me.
Jesus said this (Matthew 26:13/Mark 14:9), “What Mary did will be remembered and discussed whenever the Good News is spoken of.” Jesus said what Mary did (Matthew 26:10); Mark 14:6) was a “good thing to me.” (John 12:7)”so leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial.”
Why? What is it Mary did that was so noble that it will be remembered and associated with the Gospel throughout all time? – Right up to and including 2018 nearly 2000 years later.
How does this anointing compare with the Good News of the Cross, of the Gospel? How are they similar?
BOTH WERE DONE OUT OF PURE LOVE.
Both are a total self-sacrificing act, both the anointing and the cross are acts of pure love. What is meant by that? Jesus did not die only for certain number of people or for just so many. He died to all, for all. He died, gave up His life not just for believers, but for all people. Jesus endured humiliation, temptation, sorrow, suffering, even becoming the wrath intended for us because of our sins. He sacrificed His life for ours. While on earth He denied Himself of all the advantages of Divine Power and Privilege. Somehow, even in our simple life to love, we can see evidence that pure true love’s joyful fulfillment is love’s delight to endure hardships; to bear burdens for what is loved. Pure love is not satisfied till it has found a way to involve it’s self in service that involves cost, labor, and pain. Selfishness runs from these sacrifices, but love seems to long for them. He gave His all at the cross for us. The same with Mary – she anointed using the entire bottle to anoint Jesus. Jesus says we will remember and discuss what Mary did.
So what are some of Mary’s characteristics? She had an enthusiastic attraction to Christ. Jesus said this should be imitated by all believers. We can say then, devotion is a chief Christian Virtue similar to the woman
who gave 2 mites – Jesus said she did what she could! Mary was creative, by her action she did what her heart told her to do – it was not the time to give alms, but it was the time to anoint. She did what she could. Jesus said (Mark 14:8) she gave what she could.
Pure love does not fear consequences. Later we will see all 12 disciples deserted Jesus. Love makes one bold, as it did Mark and later for Peter and John after the resurrection of Jesus, when they stood boldly before the Sanhedrin in Acts 4.
Jesus called Mary’s act a noble work. From Mary we learn that being found fault with, as she was, is not evidence of being wrong. As a result, we should be prudent in judging the unusual acts of others. On the other hand, we should be very careful not to be like Judas and betray TRUTH.
The major complaint, it seems, as to what Mary did was to use ALL the perfume, All the ointment, and All of the bottle. The criticizers were more interested in the quantity. Pure loves uses All towards the objects it loves. NOT using All, says it could be saved for other purposes – a small amount may have just as well been enough. By using all it symbolizes the same characteristics of Christ’s Good Works as the Savior. Christ did not measure out His blood in proportion to the number being saved or a certain type of people; Jesus shed His blood without measure for all.
This account of Jesus’ anointing seems to declare love is the test and measurement of Christian excellence. Mary did not know Jesus was about to die, but she acts like it. The instincts of love, the inspiration from God or of God, teaches one to do the right thing at the right time–this is wisdom. On the other hand, the cold hardness of the disciples’ hearts filled with human knowledge makes them stupid and they run away and deny Jesus. They (the disciples) had received much more information than Mary concerning the future. If they did not know Jesus was about to die, they should have. They, like so many are so taken up by their own affairs they forget things about others!!!