Wednesday

For the past several days, Jesus had been quite busy. From the Triumphal Entry on Sunday to debating and teaching on Monday and Tuesday, this week was jam-packed for Jesus. On this particular Wednesday, Jesus decided to take a break.

As a part of his rest day, Jesus went to a dinner party. Martha, Mary, and Lazarus welcomed Jesus and the disciples into the home of Simon of Bethany, and the evening seemed to be off to a wonderful start. Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead earlier in John 11 and whom this dinner was likely celebrating, was sitting at the table hanging out with Jesus. Martha was busy hosting Jesus and the disciples, bringing Jesus the best dishes, and pressing him to eat more and more. Then, what began as a lovely evening took an awkward turn. Mary, Lazarus’ sister, grabs a bottle of her most expensive perfume, pours it on the feet of Jesus, and wipes it with her hair.

This act by Mary would have rendered a house bustling with action completely silent. While it wasn’t unusual to wash a guest's feet, it was unusual to do so at the time of the dinner and to do it with something other than water. This perfume was also not your typical perfume. It had cost Mary a year’s worth of wages and was a very extravagant display of affection. The cherry on top of it all was that Mary let down her hair to wipe off the perfume on Jesus’ feet. In this culture, women did not let their hair down, and to do so was a mark of having loose morals. Mary didn’t seem to take the time to calculate what the cultural norm was at this moment. The silence broke when Judas rebuked Mary for her actions, saying that the money used to purchase the perfume could have been given to the poor. Follow that up with Jesus rebuking Judas for his rebuke of Mary, and it seems that the restful evening Jesus most likely wanted took a turn in the opposite direction.

The question is, why did Mary do this? What motivated this lavish display of affection for Jesus? Mark’s account of this event gives us the answer. “She has anointed my body for burial.” (Mark 14:8). Mary understood the truth that the disciples were trying to suppress: Jesus was about to die. More than this, Mary understood why Jesus was going to die. She understood that Jesus’ death meant the end of the rule and reign of sin and death itself. She understood that Jesus was more than just a good teacher or even more than someone who could raise her brother from the dead. He was the one who came to save her from her.

What Mary did this evening was not a calculated action or filtered through what was considered to be normal behavior. It was worship. When she understood what Jesus was about to do for her, this passionate display of worship was her only response. The same is true for us today. When we understand the love God has shown us, our only logical response is to passionately worship him.

For a full account of the events of this day, see Matthew 26:6–16, Mark 14:3–11, Luke 22:3–6 John 12:1-7.

Reflection Questions

1. Take a moment to think about Jesus’ sacrifice for you. What emotions do you start to feel, and what thoughts come to mind?
2. What does it look like for you to passionately follow Jesus today?

Prayer

Jesus, I thank you for dying the death that I deserved. I worship you today with everything I have to give. Help me to live passionately for you in each and every environment I find myself in today. You deserve so much more, but I give you everything I have to give. Thank you for freeing me from sin and death. In your name, I pray, Amen.