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While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, "Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor." And they rebuked her harshly. "Leave her alone," said Jesus. "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."
Mark 14:3-9 (NIV)
There is another similar incident recorded in Luke 7, but that event happened earlier when Jesus was still in Galilee. This same event recorded in Matthew 26 and John 12. From those passages we learn some other facts about this encounter:
• Although we don’t know anything else about Simon the Leper, we know that this dinner was given in honor of Jesus and that Martha was serving and Lazarus was reclining at the table with Jesus. Some Bible scholars therefore believe that Simon the Leper may have been the father of Lazarus. In any case, we know that Simon would have had to have been healed from his leprosy in order to be hosting a dinner. Perhaps Jesus had healed him.
• The dinner takes place 6 days before the Passover, probably on the Sabbath right before Jesus enters into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday the next day.
• The woman is Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha
• Judas Iscariot, who was the treasurer for the disciples, is the one who leads the outcry against Mary’s actions. John makes it clear that his motivation is purely personal, since he had a habit of helping himself to some of the funds in the treasury.
• John writes that Mary pours the perfume on Jesus’ feet and then she let down her hair and wiped his feet with her hair. What probably happened was there was so much perfume that it flowed al the way from Jesus’ head down to his feet.
• John also records that the aroma of the perfume filled the house.
There were several kinds of worship going on at that meal:
• Martha served
• Simon and Lazarus fellowshipped with Jesus
• Mary’s was definitely the most extravagant
Extravagant worship requires my:
1. Total trust
• Mary understood what Jesus was about to do and she wanted to express her utmost love.
• Why was Mary the only one there who understood the person and work of Jesus?
Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught.
Luke 10:39 (NLT)
• The more Mary spent time with Jesus, the more she was convinced of his true worth and her utter unworthiness.
• Disciples became indignant because they did not understand the person and work of Jesus – they viewed ministry as a business to be financed, not a Savior to be loved.
• Worship is not a matter of me coming to give something of my own so that God will be impressed with me. It is a matter of me being so impressed with God that I bring everything I have to him as an expression of his worth.
2. Immediate involvement
A young soldier and his commanding officer got on a train together. The only available seats were across from an attractive young woman who was traveling with her grandmother. As they engaged in pleasant conversation, the soldier and the young woman kept eyeing one another; the attraction was obviously mutual. Suddenly the train went into a tunnel and the car became pitch black. Immediately two sounds were heard: the "smack" of a kiss, and the "whack" of a slap across the face. The grandmother thought "I can’t believe he kissed my granddaughter, but I’m glad she gave him the slap he deserved." The commanding officer thought, "I don’t blame the boy for kissing the girl, but it’s a shame that she missed his face and hit me instead." The young girl thought, "I’m glad he kissed me, but I wish my grandmother hadn’t slapped him for doing it." And as the train broke into the sunlight, the soldier could not wipe the smile of his face. He had just seized the opportunity to kiss a pretty girl and slap his commanding officer and had gotten away with both!
• Mary seized the opportunity to worship Jesus - “She did what she could.”
• What if Mary had said, “I’ll wait for the next time Jesus comes over for dinner.”?
• Jesus recognized that Mary had seized her opportunity – the disciples were always going to have the poor to help, but they would only be able to worship him in flesh and bone for a very short time.
Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
Ephesians 5:15, 16 (NIV)
• We make all kinds of excuses for why we won’t seize the opportunity – why we won’t worship God with our time, talents and treasure right now.
If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done.
Ecclesiastes 11:4 (NIV)
3. Personal participation
• Everyone present in that room had received something from Jesus, but only Mary was willing to step out and do something to demonstrate her love.
• Mary’s worship was personal – she took what she had and used it for the glory of God.
• Extravagant worship begins with an inward impression but it always moves to an outward expression
In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
James 2:17 (NIV)
Do you suppose for a minute that you can cut faith and works in two and not end up with a corpse on your hands?
James 2:17 (Message)
• Too many people come to church for what they can get out of it, not to express their love to Jesus in a personal way.
• What has God given to you that he wants you to use for His glory? How does God want you to demonstrate your faith by giving of your time, talents and treasure as an expression of your love for Him?
4. Complete commitment
A pig and a chicken were walking by a church where a gala charity event was taking place. Getting caught up in the spirit, the pig suggested to the chicken that they each make a contribution.
"Great idea!" the chicken cried. "Let’s offer them ham and eggs?"
"Not so fast," said the pig. "For you, that’s a contribution. For me, it’s a total commitment."
• Love does not look for bargains
After being away on business for a week before Christmas, Tom thought it would be nice to bring his wife a little gift.
"How about some perfume?" he asked the cosmetics clerk. She showed him a bottle costing $50.
"That’s a bit much," said Tom, so she returned with a smaller bottle for $30.
"That’s still quite a bit," Tom groused.
Growing disgusted, the clerk brought out a tiny $15 bottle.
Tom grew agitated, "What I mean," he said, "is I’d like to see something real cheap."
So the clerk handed him a mirror.
• Alabaster jar was sealed with a long neck. Only way to get the perfume out was to break the neck and pour it all out – couldn’t save some for a later time
• Nard was extracted from a root found only in India
• Worth 300 denarii – about a year’s wage
• This valuable perfume was probably passed on as a family heirloom, only to be used for a very special occasion.
What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ - the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.
Philippians 3:8-9 (NIV)
• This seems to be a recurring theme from throughout Scripture. We’ve already seen how Abel and Abraham were willing to commit their very best to God. And now we see Mary do the very same thing.
• I’ll ask the same question I asked you last week, since I think it bears repeating again: What is it that you are holding onto that keeps you from making a total commitment to God? Some possession, some habit, some person, some hobby?
5. Fixed focus
• Only women of ill repute let down their hair in public.
• Mary was so focused on Jesus that she didn’t care what everyone else around her thought.
David retorted to Michal, "I was dancing before the LORD… So I am willing to act like a fool in order to show my joy in the LORD. Yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this…”
2 Samuel 6:21, 22 (NLT)
• Song “Undignified” (Matt Redman – 1995)
I will dance, I will sing
To be mad for my King,
Nothing, Lord, is hindering
The passion in my soul.
And I’ll become even more undignified than this
Some would say it’s foolishness,
But I’ll become even more undignified than this.
• When we express extravagant worship others may feel threatened.
• However, extravagant worship can also be infectious – John tells us that the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
• The only audience Mary cared about was Jesus – and he approved
• What are you holding back from God because you’re afraid of what some others might think?
o Your witness
o Your wealth
o Your worship
