But some were expressing indignation to one another: “Why has this perfume been wasted? For this perfume might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they began to scold her. Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a noble thing for me. You always have the poor with you, and you can do what is good for them whenever you want, but you do not always have me.” [Mark 14:4-7 (CSB)]
While anointing people seems a bit strange to us in the 21st century, in Jesus’ day it was a tradition among the Hebrews to anoint a guest with oil as a way of welcoming them into your home. Anointing them with perfume like nard, however, was a costly and significant act of devotion and honor—one saved for exceptional occasions. A major economic sacrifice, it signaled wholehearted commitment. That twelve ounces of nard used to anoint Jesus in Bethany represented a full year’s wages!
Unlike us, the people at that dinner in Bethany didn’t have the benefit of the gospels—they didn’t know what soon would happen. Had you been at that dinner some 2,000 years ago, what would you think if you saw a woman use an entire jar of expensive nard to anoint Jesus? Would that have seemed wasteful to you? If she were so willing to part with it, couldn’t she have used less on Jesus and sold the rest to serve the poor? The Hebrew Scriptures are filled with commands to care for widows and orphans and it was Jesus who told the rich young ruler to sell all his belongings and give to the poor! The disciples’ indignation at such extravagance is understandable and I might have joined in their criticism of her actions.
Were the disciples surprised when, rather than agreeing with them, Jesus said to leave his anointer alone and then praised her? He repeated the first part of Deuteronomy 15:11: “For there will never cease to be poor people in the land….” but didn’t say the rest: “that is why I am commanding you, ‘Open your hand willingly to your poor and needy brother in your land.’” True, the poor always will be with us in this broken world, but Jesus’ words seem somewhat callous until we understand His point. He wasn’t denying the importance of charity and the opportunities for charity will never cease. Nevertheless, there would not be another opportunity to do for Him what had been done! Unlike the poor, He would be there only a little longer and any chance to show Him love soon would be gone.
Had this been anyone else, Jesus’ words would have been outrageous and self-centered. But, Jesus wasn’t a narcissist, He was God! The God who, for our sake, “Though he was rich… became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.” [2 Cor 8:9] Let us remember that the first of the great commandments is to love God above all others and that is exactly what the woman did! Yes, we are to care for the poor but, first and foremost, we are to worship God! When she saw an opportunity to serve Jesus, she did and saved nothing for herself. That alabaster jar of nard, worth 300 denarii, might have been her dowry!
Genuine devotion never considers the cost; it simply does all that it can. When she anointed Jesus that night in Bethany, this woman simply did what she could. Jesus asks nothing more of us—we are to do what we can. In his Commentary on the Gospel of Mark, J.D. Jones said this about her: “She spent herself to the uttermost. ‘What she could’: and I confess that I feel a stab at my conscience as I read the little phrase. How many of us can say that?” I can’t; can you?
Devotions of the Heart 