The Anointed Christ
Scripture Reading: Mark 14:1-11
Meditation
The foul odor of foul play is in the air and the stench is coming from the chief priests and teachers of the law. They’re saturated with anger. They reek of hypocrisy, deceit, and decaying spirituality. They’re salivating at the thought of Jesus’ death. All they’re waiting for is the right moment, a moment without incident or riots.
After all, no one wants to start a big stink during Passover.
“Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him. ‘But not during the Feast,’ they said, ‘or the people may riot.’ ”
Into this stench comes a waft of fresh air.
This light breeze is Mary, the sister of Lazarus, the brother who had been raised from the dead. Her presence, tender emotion, and the purity of her devotion swirl around him and fill the room like a sweet perfume. Her love brings the bouquet of life to a man who smells the scent of death.
Accompanying her love is a sacred sign and token.
She brings an alabaster jar of pure nard. It’s expensive, more than a year’s wages worth. It’s extraordinary, far beyond something that is commonplace. It’s extravagant, surpassing rational sensibility or fiscal responsibility.
She brings the alabaster jar, breaks the neck, and pours it over his head.
It’s not the reasonable thing to do, or the most rational. But it is the right thing. She’s not out of her mind; she’s acting out of her heart.
“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.”
Her extravagance brings a harsh rebuke.
The disciples, specifically Judas—the keeper of the moneybag and a thief—shame her. (John 12:4-5) All they see is an economic transaction. They don’t see the currency of love that is being exchanged. All they look at is the bottom line of the budget and ask,
“Why this waste of perfume?”
They’ve done a cost benefit analysis and they’ve concluded that this expenditure is a bad investment. In their eyes, it will pay no returns, no earthly dividends, and there will be no interest. They call her act of extravagance “a waste”, “bad stewardship”, and “excessive”.
Jesus, the recipient of her love and the sole source of her investment, hears all of these harsh rebukes and wonders,
“If they rebuke her, aren’t they rebuking me? If her act of love is ‘a waste’ than am I, the one she loves, ‘a waste’? Am I worth her extravagance or are there other things—better things—that the money could have been spent on? Am I a good investment?”
Jesus answers their rebukes with a rebuke of his own. He stands against the disciples, stands by Mary’s side, and stands up for himself. He explains the economy of her actions.
“ ‘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.’ ”
The Anointed Christ gets up, shields Mary, and then stands with his arm around her. His pores are saturated, his clothes are covered, and his hair is still dripping with the extravagant perfume that came from the alabaster jar now broken on the floor.
He looks into Mary’s eyes, breathes deep, closes his eyes, smiles, and savors the aroma of her love. He then turns to his disciples and says,
“She has done a beautiful thing for me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare it for my burial.”
Mary had just invested everything she had. She didn’t keep anything back, hidden away, saved for another day. While Jesus was in Bethany, she wanted to live with lavish love. And it was that fragrance of lavish love that sustained him on the cross. Even the stench of death couldn’t overpower the aroma of her love. With every labored breath, he closed his eyes and savored the scent of the perfume.
As he did, he remembered her.
Prayer
Father,
Your Son was called the Christ, the Messiah—which means “the Anointed One”.
You chose to break him open. Pour him out. Lavish him on humanity. His life carried with it the fragrance of grace, his death the aroma of forgiveness, and his resurrection the redolence of redemption.
In your Son, you poured out divine extravagance.
During this day, in response to the extravagant love of Christ, I want to be like Mary.
In some way, I want to come, break open my alabaster jar of expensive perfume, and anoint the body of Christ. Though my actions may be misunderstood by the world, though they may be described as “a waste”, and though those around me may rebuke me harshly, I still want my love to be extravagant.
I want to hear the words that the Anointed Christ spoke to Mary spoken of me:
“She did what she could. She didn’t hold anything back. And what she did for me was a beautiful thing.”
It’s in his name I pray. Amen.
Reflection
Have you ever been rebuked harshly for an act of love that you did for Christ? What was the action? What was the rebuke?
Mary did what she could. What beautiful thing could you do to anoint Christ? What act of extravagance would express your devotion?
Mary was remembered as the one who anointed Christ. How will the world remember your love for Jesus? What memorial will you leave?
How has the fragrance of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection scented your life?
All Scripture references in the meditation are marked by italics and are taken from the Gospel reading for the day (Mark 14:1-11). Those verses quoted outside of the chosen reading for the day are noted in parenthesis. All Scripture quoted on this site is taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.