"the Perfume Of Gratitude"

Jesus Anointed at Bethany

Mark 14 Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. 2 “But not during the festival,” they said, “or the people may riot.”

3 While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of 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.

4 Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? 5 It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages[a] and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.

6 “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 The poor you will always have with you,[b] and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. 8 She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. 9 Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them.11 They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

“The Perfume of Gratitude"

Jesus is Anointed at Bethany

14:1–11

Subject: Why does this woman make an extra-ordinary sacrifice by anointing Jesus with expensive perfume?

Complement: to show her extraordinary gratitude!

Idea; Amazing grace produces amazing gratitude.

Introduction:

We are called to be good stewards of time, treasure and talent.Yet sometimes we are called to be extravagant!

Lulu Fleming (1862-1899), was the daughter of a slave and a Civil War veteran. She was valedictorian of her class at Shaw University, she became the first Black person appointed a career missionary by the Woman's American Baptist Foreign Mission Society of the West.

She sailed for Africa in 1887; in 1895 she received a degree from the Pennsylvania Woman's Medical College. She returned to Africa, and for the remainder of her life was a medical missionary in the Congo.

Read text:… Mark 14:1-11

SITUATION : it is now just 2 days before Passover. Jesus arrest is immanent.

Ancient custom suggests that Jesus would have been anointed more than once as a guest.

The setting is in the home of “Simon the Leper” - who was cured. He was no longer a social outcast.

This anointing was not unprecedented: a distinguished rabbi might be honored in this way too.

this woman may be his wife - or sister - or neighbour. something prompted her to make this extravagant gesture of worship.

The cost of the “perfume” (from the nard plant, native to India), was an entire year's wages. think about that in terms of today's economy.Spices and ointments were quite costly because they had to be imported. these perfumes were sometimes used as an investment because they occupied a small space, were portable, and were easily negotiable in the open market.

in today's economy this perfume represented her retirement plan or saving's account.

the offering was valued at three hundred denarii, approximately a year’s wages for an ordinary working man.

She presented it as an offering of love and gratitude, prompted by Jesus’ restoration of this man. The fragrance of the perfume that filled the house told all present of her sacrificial gift.

The perfume was extracted from the thin-necked alabaster flask by snapping off the neck.

Meet Simon the Leper.

Is was unclean…and therefore ostracized by society - and likely living in poverty.

Jesus accepts him & heals him - while others refuse him.

and so we read this story of a woman spending extravagantly - because of deep gratitude.

Complication: but this perfume is very expensive… it seems like such a waste…what about the poor?

• Why this waste of perfume?

• One year’s wages

• 300 denarii

we have here a story of deep devotion - sandwiched between stories of betrayal… one of Jesus very own disciples - Judas conspiring with the religious authorities of judaism.

And so, they rebuked her - this could have been given to the poor !

**Have you ever tried to do something extravagant for Jesus and been rebuked?

Examples:

• I’m not going to become an accountant I’m going to be a Pastor

• I’m not going to practice medicine in Canada--- but in India - among the poor

• I’m going to give 10% income to the church… isn't it better to invest it and build up for our retirement…