July 27, 2023
Honoring Christ
“Therefore Jesus said, ‘Let her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of My burial. For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me.’” John 12:7-8 (NASB)
Years ago, I remember a young man came into our church. He carried a worn-out Bible; shoes that were completely worn out; no socks, and not taken a shower in probably a few weeks. His body odor was so bad, church members kept their distance from him. I thought he was homeless at the time. He wasn’t. His family left him a trailer in the neighborhood adjacent to the church. During his visit, I watched him closely (perhaps it’s my old career). So I watched the young man during the Sunday School hour. He knew his Bible better than most of our membership. Over the next few months I got to know him a lot better. He was genuine, but was struggling to take care of things. He had been homeless for a long time and was acclimating to living inside again. He wouldn’t accept help either. One day, my wife and I decided to go purchase two new pairs of shoes, socks, and some other toiletries. It was near Christmas time. When we presented the gifts to him, he almost cried. He was grateful. Then I remembered this; “The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me” (Matthew 25:40).
“Let her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of My burial. For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me.” Several commentators have gone back and forth with differing interpretations. Some assumed the perfume was already available for the burial of Lazarus, so Mary was ready to use it. Others assumed Mary had special revelation from God that the perfume would be used for Jesus, in preparation of His death. Finally, others assumed Mary used the perfume to anoint Jesus as an honor from the household, since this act was common in welcoming an important figure. Whatever the reason, we see Jesus’ reply to those in the room. Foster comments: “The very anointing of Jesus supplied a fitting introduction to the final phase in His ministry. He was about to announce Himself as king by entering the capital city amid the plaudits of the people (John 12:12–19). He was God’s anointed, the Christos, the Christ. He was anointed to preach glad tidings to the poor, but He was also anointed as the King. He did not speak of this at the supper in Bethany, however. He said rather that He was being anointed for His burial, for His death was at hand.”[1] When Jesus told those in the room, “For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me,” He was not downplaying the role of the ministry to the poor. He was telling the disciples to keep their priorities straight. “He meant only to contrast himself with the poor. The disciples would have many other occasions for helping the poor (as they should), but not many more occasions to honor Jesus.”[2] The gracious act Mary performed would not be for long when Jesus said, “you do not always have Me.”
Whatever the reasons are for Mary’s anointing of Jesus, shows the love she had for her Master. In doing so, she performed an act of love toward God. She acknowledged Jesus as Master, but anointed (gives her best) God, as an act of worship. The day we gave a small gift to the young man, it warmed our hearts so much. It just felt good to be obedient. I believe we honored God that day by giving to those who were in need. Mary would agree with me too!
[1] Foster, L. (1987). John: Unlocking the Scriptures for You (p. 135). Standard.
[2] Dongell, J. (1997). John: a Bible commentary in the Wesleyan tradition (p. 150). Wesleyan Publishing House.