Expensive Perfume

 DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW

EXPENSIVE PERFUME

Matt 26:6-13

6 While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, 7 a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. 8 When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. "Why this waste?" they asked. 9 "This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor." 10 Aware of this, Jesus said to them, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 11 The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. 12 When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. 13 I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her." 

NIV

This is a very interesting account and is almost the same as what John records happened except for several details that are quite different. John’s account of something like this was in the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus and Mary took a pint of nard, expensive perfume, and poured it on the feet of Jesus as he was reclining at the table. She then wiped his feet with her hair. The indignation was only from one disciple, Judas Iscariot, however, the response from Jesus was about the same. Therefore, it becomes a little confusing to us. Still, in this event which took place in the house of Simon the leper, Matthew says it was two days before the Passover, while John records the event that took place in the home of Mary and Martha took place six days before the Passover. Then we would have to believe Jesus was anointed two different times by two different women. John mentions it is Mary while Matthew suppresses the name of the woman. Some would suggest this is the same account from two different perspectives, however, if it is two then we would say that Jesus was anointed from head to toe. He was completed anoint, by women, for his burial within days of his burial which he makes sure they and we know. What do we learn from this that enhances our walk with the Lord? How does this affect our relationship with Jesus? What we can deduce is that both women did not hold back from anointing Jesus, both gave their very expensive perfume, and used it all on his head and his feet. We can see others thinking it was a waste, the money could have been used to feed the poor. Did they not remember Jesus did not need a large purse of money to buy enough food to feed thousands, but only a few fish and a couple of loaves of bread? Is it a lesson in trusting in money rather than giving our all to Jesus? Again, we do not think we should sell all our possessions, as Jesus suggested the rich young man do. But it could be right to think that we should give our all to Jesus, and that would imply the giving of ourselves, the most expensive fragrant of praise we have. Paul makes the case in his letter to the Corinthians that we are to spread the fragrance of the knowledge of him for we are to God the aroma of Christ. We should live as a very expensive perfume before God, as we are his creation, and we are so expensive to Jesus that he came to die in our place so we could have life. Plus, as in John’s account of Mary’s anointing, the whole house was filled with the aroma. So then, as we are the aroma of Christ, we should fill the whole world with this sweet aroma of praise to God, as we pour ourselves out.