Not So Ordinary---Extraordinary

When the Ordinary Translates into the EXTRAORDINARY

(Sometimes even less than Ordinary)

Mark 14:3-9

John 12:1-3

1 ¶ Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. (KJV)

1 Entonces Jesús, seis días antes de la pascua, vino a Betania, donde estaba Lázaro, el que había estado muerto, al cual había resucitado de los muertos. (RVG04)

2 There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. (KJV)

2 Y le hicieron allí una cena; y Marta servía; y Lázaro era uno de los que estaban sentados a la mesa con Él. (RVG04)

3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. (KJV)

3 Entonces María tomó una libra de ungüento de nardo puro, de mucho precio, y ungió los pies de Jesús, y los enjugó con sus cabellos; y la casa se llenó de la fragancia del ungüento. (RVG04)

IL.: At Sunday School, a young child asked her teacher some questions. She said, I heard in a sermon that God is so big that He holds the whole world in His hands. Then, I heard you say that Jesus lives in our heart when we invite Him in. The teacher was getting a little nervous as to how she could explain all of this. Then the child said--He must be coming out of us on all sides, He is so much bigger than us.

Is Christ coming out (radiating) from every part of your being?

THE SCENE:

A few days before Jesus is to be arrested, mockingly tried, and crucified.

Jesus, the disciples, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus are all congregated in the city of Bethany, at the house of Simon the Leper.

Simon the Leper was a man whom Jesus had healed; otherwise none of these would have been with him in this house, especially, in the middle of the city.

Leprousy = sin

Leprousy was seen, in many cases, as a type of judgment for sin.

Examples: Miriam, Gehazi, Uzziah

The house of a leper was even considered unclean until certain rituals were accomplished to "cleanse" it.

So here is the paradox---JESUS (the spotless Lamb of God), is on His way to the Cross to be the perfect sacrifice for our sins. Yet, He is eating in a house that still had the taint of being unclean, with a man who had been a leper.

Simon the Leper, obviously, was not now a leper. He had been healed. Yet, this "tag"is still attached to his life by society.

Some say that should not be. Why keep calling him Simon-the leper. It doesn't seem right. It is hard to change habits and traditions. But look at how this title made the miracle ever bigger. The world was reminded of what Simon had been every single time they called his name on the streets. Visitors and new people undoubtedly did inquire as to the reason for his name.

Simon was not running around crying--"unclean, unclean". He was not living at the outer gates of the city. He was not dying of an "uncurable" disease. I am convinced that he was not a disfigured person. All for the glory of God.

We are not done. Back at the house of Simon, there was a big meal about to be served to the guests. All of a sudden, Mary (of Bethany) comes in and breaks a flask of ointment, pouring it over the head of Jesus.

Alabaster = a flasklike jar made from a semi-transparent white stone from Egypt. Very costly; mostly used by kings and princes as decorative pieces.

Nard = an expensive perfume made from the oil of a plant from the Himalayan Mountains of India.

Mark's gospel tells of her pouring it on her head.

The gospel of John tells of her anointing and washing the feet of Jesus with this spikenard.

A SENSITIVE HEART

A SACRIFICIAL HEART

A SERVANT'S HEART

I. SENSITIVITY

This Mary of Bethany is found three times in the Scriptures. Each time she is AT THE FEET OF JESUS.

1. Lk. 10:38-42 ---sitting at His feet as He teaches; while Martha is upset with her for not helping in the kitchen.

2. Jn. 11:30-32 ---she falls at His feet, in agony of her brothers' death

3. Jn. 12:3 ---anointing Jesus for His burial

In some way of another, God, by His Spirit, spoke to Mary about going to Jesus and ministering unto Him.

From the other references in Scripture, we surmize that she made it a habit to be sensitive to the Lord.