Text: Mark 14:3-11, Matthew 26:14-16, Luke 22:3-6, Zechariah 11:12-13
Today is the fourth day of the portion of the church calendar commonly known as Holy Week.
In the coming days, we will slow our pace, walking through the events that took place between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. Rather than offer personal, written responses to each day’s Scripture reading, we’ve asked our friend, Pastor Russ Ramsey, to provide a real-time summary of the week’s events. Our prayer is that this more descriptive approach will usher you into the narrative and allow space for you to fully engage the beauty and ache of Holy Week.
Take this week slowly and reverently. It is a somber time, but let us never forget: Sunday is coming.
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On the Wednesday before His death, Jesus was still. Though Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday of Holy Week were filled with harrowing experiences that seemed to be drawing Him ever nearer to His death, on Wednesday Jesus stayed out of the public eye.
On this day, Jesus and His disciples had gone to the home of a man in Bethany known as Simon the leper (Matthew 26:6). Simon belonged to a growing part of the population known not for their accomplishments, but for what was wrong with them. It was a difficult life, but it must also have been strangely liberating since the first thing people learned about Simon was his broken past. Simon lived among the few who did not have to pretend to be what they were not. He was Simon, the leper. People could choose his company or reject it, but that was who he was.
In Simon’s home, during their meal together, Mary of Bethany, Lazarus’ sister, came to Jesus with an alabaster flask of perfume (Mark 14:3). She had been saving this perfume, worth a year’s wages, to perform this very act.
She began to pour the perfume on Jesus’ head and feet, which required breaking open its container. Like popping the cork on a $20,000 bottle of champagne, Mary intentionally and deliberately offered Jesus everything she had. By giving Him her most valuable possession, Mary was expressing that she knew what Jesus was about to give of Himself was for her.
The disciples reacted like many men often do. They considered the value of her perfume and regarded her actions as though she might as well have been burning a year’s wages in a bread oven. But they dressed their indignation up in the noble auspices of concern for the poor: Think of the poor people who could have benefited from the sale of this perfume (Mark 14:4-5).
But this was not how her actions hit Jesus. He came to her aid. What Mary is doing is beautiful, He said to them (Mark 14:6).
Appreciate the doctrinal principle here. The perfume could have been sold for a year’s wages, but what is perfume for? Is it merely a commodity Mary should have held on to in the event that she needed to cash it in? Is this how God would expect her to regard this valuable resource?
Apparently not. Perfume is meant to be poured out, released into the air until it is gone, in order to fill the room with its beautiful and startling aroma. So Mary breaks open the jar and the scent electrifies the senses of everyone present, and Jesus says it is beautiful.
Everything in creation testifies to a Creator who delights in beauty for beauty’s sake. So many things that are beautiful didn’t need to be. And it was God who elected to make them that way. He opted to make autumn a season saturated with bold, changing color. He didn’t have to make the setting sun the spectacle that it is. But He did. Why?
One reason must be because beauty pleases Him. And another may simply be to arrest people by their senses when they’re otherwise just plodding along, heads down, living within the economy of pragmatism.
What Mary did that day was beautiful and Jesus wanted everyone to know it. She was preparing Him for burial. There was honor and kindness in her gesture. He returned the honor by saying history would never forget her act of beauty (Mark 14:8-9). And we haven’t.
written by Russ Ramsey
adapted from Behold the King of Glory
I love how Jesus always speaks up for the underdog. Jesus liberated women. Her act was not normal for women in that day! I am always quick to judge. But I need to look for a lesson in every act. Jesus forgive me! She gave it all, without a second thought.
Amen! She gave it all to the Messiah in that moment, in front of many.
Yes! Thanks for pointing this out, Grace!
xoxo-Kaitlin
Beauty for beauty’s sake. The Lord loves what is beautiful. It is so easy to get blinded to the natural beauty around me when I am surrounded by high rises, fast cars, expensive meals, and everything-over-the-top-city-living… But to focus on what is beautiful will lead me to my Savior. To give him all my riches and to look like a fool in he eyes of my earthly neighbors will lead me down the path to salvation. Thank you for this reminder today!
“So many things that are beautiful didn’t need to be.” Isn’t that such a true testament to us as a people? So often we can be ugly in spirit, but our beautiful actions will always speak louder than the sins He forgives. We, especially as women, can look into a mirror- whether we’re dressed to the nines or wearing sweats- and think, “I’m not beautiful.” But we absolutely are! He sees us. And He loves us deeply. And He believes totally and completely in our beauty- the beauty that He created!
I have a quote I keep in my bathroom that says “be your own kind of beautiful.” This reminds me each day that I am unique and beautiful just the way I am. I don’t have to try to present myself the way I think the world wants me too. It reminds me that I can just be me, the woman God intentionally created.
She began to pour the perfume on Jesus’ head and feet, which required breaking open its container. Like popping the cork on a $20,000 bottle of champagne, Mary intentionally and deliberately offered Jesus everything she had. By giving Him her most valuable possession, Mary was expressing that she knew what Jesus was about to give of Himself was for her.
What is our most prized possession? For me, its really what is one of my frequently thought about desires? To be desired without abandon sexually? For a great marriage with a fulfilling sex life? Can I give these to Jesus and He give me something of himself? What will that even be? How will I even offer up the many parts of my sexuality I dont understand? In the past few days I have tried praying about my body and my sexuality (tho I have still fallen) and its just totally weird
Sister, there are so many aspects of our lives that seem weird and confusing, especially when they involve our worldly desires and thoughts. I encourage you to continue seeking Him for answers because you will not find them of this world. We are called to give ourselves fully to God; to lay our burdens and worries at the foot of the cross. I know it is easier said than done, and I truly cannot understand the ache that you may feel daily as you try to discover the person that you are, but I will pray alongside you that you feel peace and comfort during this difficult time. Know that you are loved and cherished by a King, THE King, and He walks alongside you in all aspects of life. Try and focus your thoughts and conversations around Him and pray for His spirit to reveal to you the answers your heart longs for. He will in His good time. He always does. Love to you.
Wow this made me cry thank you so much!
You are loved, friend!
By the way are you aaying that the desire to be desired without abandon and to have a fulfilling sex life in marriage….while im not yet married….would those be worldly…?
To an extent, I wouldn’t say that that is. God created sex with the intent to be a beautiful act (in marriage.) He designed us, His children, to want to be desired, loved and adored. All of these things we get from Him. When it comes to sexual fulfillment, we must remember these things and take into account how He has intended for those desires and wants to be fulfilled, but within the sacrament of marriage. Sex, (from what I have heard, I, too, am not married) in marriage IS a big deal, and like any form of a relationship takes work. It would only be natural for you to desire that fulfillment when the time comes, but try not to focus your days solely around it. To think about your future is natural, both of this world and the future of your life romantically and spiritually. God promises to fulfill the desires of our heart (He did, after all, place them there,) and He will not leave you abandoned. Keep your focus on Him and try to maintain a constant line of communication. Lay your trust fully in Him.
Needed this devotional and these comments today. I’ve had a strange morning, emotionally, and I’m glad to be refocused on what, and Who, is important.
You will overcome
Praying for your day, Rochelle! Glad to hear that you have your focus back on Him despite a morning of ache. He mends our hearts and always draws us near. Hugs to you, sweet sister.
Praying for you today, Rochelle! Love to you, friend.
xoxo-Kaitlin
I am loving these readings and the deep, insightful, beautiful comments you all are writing! Thank you SRT staff and community. ❤️
One thing that stood out to me today is that Jesus was at the home of Simon the leper. As a leper, Simon was most likely shunned, marginalized, and an outcast of society. I am struck today by the fact that Jesus did not donate money to help find a cure for leprousy or simply bring Simon a meal then leave. He must have been intentional about building a relationship with Simon, spending time with him, ministering to him and getting to know him. Jesus was close enough to Simon the leper that his was the home Jesus chose to stay at. What a beautiful, loving, compassionate Lord we serve!! I am overwhelmed and convicted by this this morning. Do I invest in building relationships with the broken, marginalized, and outcast around me? Oh Jesus, help me to be more like you. To be filled with your love so that I can love others as you would!
In my translation it says: ‘who had been suffering from lepra’. So I think he was healed already. Marc states: ‘ he was having a feastmeal’ so more people where there.
Doesn’t means your insight is not right, but just wanted to mention it.
So many beautiful thoughts and comments today…I just want to sit at the feet of Jesus and soak it all in!
Everything in creation testifies to a Creator who delights in beauty for beauty’s sake.
Exactly.