Dear Explorer,
Read Matthew 26:6-7
And
Read Mark 14:3
And
Read John 12:1-3
This is such a beautiful story and I want you to fully understand it. We don't know why Mary had such an expensive gift. This vial probably would have sold for approximately a year's wages. Maybe it was her inheritance from a grandparent or a special gift, but she had a vial or alabaster jar of pure nard (or spikenard) perfume. Now, what you need to know is that resealable lids were not invented yet. So, a perfumer would have placed the perfume inside a glass vial and then sealed it with glass so that it was one whole piece with no opening. To get it out and use it – you would have to break the vial.
Nard was considered a burial perfume. It was usually used to anoint the body of a wealthy person before wrapping it in cloths. But it was also occasionally used by royalty or the very rich as a perfume for special occasions.
Now, there is some discrepancy as you compare these verses. Where did she pour the perfume?
She probably began with his head and then anointed his feet. A king's hair would be perfumed for special occasions. But washing his feet with perfume was only done for burial. I believe she anointed both.
Bill George and Gloria Gaither wrote a beautiful song that Steve Green performs about this scripture passage. It uses this anointing to represent God's gift of Jesus to us. He was “broken” and “poured out” for our sins. Then the singer asks God to let him be “broken” and “poured out” in His service. It's called “Broken and Spilled Out” if you want to look up the lyrics.
Let's look at some more details. Where did this dinner party take place?
Interesting name. I wonder if Jesus had healed him earlier. I don't know.
Jesus was probably staying with His friends, Mary and Martha and Lazarus. Were they at the party?
John is the only one who names the woman with the perfume who anointed Jesus. Who was it?
We also see that this dinner party was probably given on the last Sabbath before Jesus' death. Now, no one except Jesus knew that His death was imminent. But Mary apparently felt God's leading to anoint him with this special gift – even though she did not know the reason.
Sometimes God will lead you to do things that you don't fully understand. Sometimes, I've been prompted to call someone or send a card and it turned out to be at a very hard time for them and God used it to encourage or bless them.
We need to be obedient if we are certain that it is God's voice, even if we don't understand the whys.
We'll continue this discussion tomorrow.
In His service, dale
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