Can you hear the camel in the Geico commercial saying, “Hump Day!”
Happy Wednesday! We may be in the middle of the week but, Sunday is coming!!
As we look at our reading for today, Mark 14:1-31, we are reading about the same calendar Wednesday in the last week of Jesus here on the earth.
We read of a woman (who is not named) and how she readies Jesus for all He is about to face.
Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy. While he was eating, a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard. She broke open the jar and poured the perfume over his head.
Mark 14:3
She. Broke. Open. The. Jar!!!! This jar contained a perfume that was worth a year’s salary. She did not “drip” a drop of perfume on his head. She broke the jar and it ALL flowed on Jesus’ head. She did not hold back any of the expensive oil for herself, she gave it all.
Those who were also at the dinner began to criticize her harshly. Did she not know how valuable the perfume was? Did she realize how she could have sold the bottle and used the money to help the poor? The dinner guests saw a horrible injustice and a waste in what they thought to be a frivolous act. But, Jesus quickly comes to the woman’s defense.
But Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. Why criticize her for doing such a good thing to me? You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want to. But you will not always have me. She has done what she could and has anointed my body for burial ahead of time.
Mark 14:6-8
It was not customary for a criminal’s body to be anointed for burial. The woman was authored by God to do this purposed act on the Wednesday before judgment day.
The people in this room were focused on the perfume, the money, the tradition, and they missed the act of anointing.
“She had done what she could”
Mark 14:8
When she broke the bottle, the woman gave all of it contents. The woman loved the Lord with ALL that she had.
It is Wednesday…Sunday is in sight.
What is in your alabaster jar?
What do you need to pour out at the feet of Jesus?
Jesus will soon give His entire life for you and for me. He will be completely broken and poured out for us.
Have we done all that we can?