A crazy amount of perfume
John 12:1-11
The most expensive perfume you can buy on the market today is Clive Christian No. 1 Imperial Majesty perfume. The advertisers say that if you wear this perfume, you will smell like the Greek goddess, Aphrodite.
Although this perfume sells for £9095 an ounce (as seen in the packaging above), you can also buy the no-frills container version which costs £1538 an ounce.
But that's cheap! The 'pure nard' perfume in the Bible passage we read this week cost more than that. It has been estimated that the current value of it would be £2146 an ounce. And Mary used the whole twelve ounce bottle! A pint! That's £25,752...
Didn't Judas have a point? You could make a serious charitable donation with that!
But Mary wasn't being lavish because she wanted to be remembered as a platinum donor. She was worshipping Jesus, showing faith in him and his mission - to die. She believed and supported him when he said that he had to go to Jerusalem. Everyone knew that the chief priests and teachers of the law were lying in wait for him to arrest him and have him put to death. She knew that was what he expected.
So this pure nard symbolised his approaching death. It was a large bottle of perfume that had been saved for Jesus' burial. In pouring it over his feet, she was 'anointing him', as if he was already dead.
Although this is sad, we have to remember that Mary doesn't expect Jesus to stay dead. Lazarus is sitting right there, reclining at the table. He was dead not long ago and Jesus brought him back to life! He's the visual aid in this vignette, reminding Mary and everyone there that when it comes to Jesus, death is not the end.
Do deprived people always need money? Yes, of course they do. They are always with us, says Jesus, and they are still with us today. Elsewhere in the Bible we are commanded to look after the poor. But Judas' failure was that he refused to recognise Jesus as God's King. Judas simply didn't have the desire to worship Jesus.
It would be rather wonderful to put on some expensive perfume and to feel like the goddess Aphrodite - perhaps even to experience others worshipping us like a goddess.
But that's not the calling of those who follow Jesus. We are called to worship Jesus in response to all that he's done for us. Are we with Mary?
Jesus Anointed at Bethany
12 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him.3 Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
The most expensive perfume you can buy on the market today is Clive Christian No. 1 Imperial Majesty perfume. The advertisers say that if you wear this perfume, you will smell like the Greek goddess, Aphrodite.
Although this perfume sells for £9095 an ounce (as seen in the packaging above), you can also buy the no-frills container version which costs £1538 an ounce.
But that's cheap! The 'pure nard' perfume in the Bible passage we read this week cost more than that. It has been estimated that the current value of it would be £2146 an ounce. And Mary used the whole twelve ounce bottle! A pint! That's £25,752...
Didn't Judas have a point? You could make a serious charitable donation with that!
But Mary wasn't being lavish because she wanted to be remembered as a platinum donor. She was worshipping Jesus, showing faith in him and his mission - to die. She believed and supported him when he said that he had to go to Jerusalem. Everyone knew that the chief priests and teachers of the law were lying in wait for him to arrest him and have him put to death. She knew that was what he expected.
So this pure nard symbolised his approaching death. It was a large bottle of perfume that had been saved for Jesus' burial. In pouring it over his feet, she was 'anointing him', as if he was already dead.
Although this is sad, we have to remember that Mary doesn't expect Jesus to stay dead. Lazarus is sitting right there, reclining at the table. He was dead not long ago and Jesus brought him back to life! He's the visual aid in this vignette, reminding Mary and everyone there that when it comes to Jesus, death is not the end.
Do deprived people always need money? Yes, of course they do. They are always with us, says Jesus, and they are still with us today. Elsewhere in the Bible we are commanded to look after the poor. But Judas' failure was that he refused to recognise Jesus as God's King. Judas simply didn't have the desire to worship Jesus.
It would be rather wonderful to put on some expensive perfume and to feel like the goddess Aphrodite - perhaps even to experience others worshipping us like a goddess.
But that's not the calling of those who follow Jesus. We are called to worship Jesus in response to all that he's done for us. Are we with Mary?
Jesus Anointed at Bethany
12 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him.3 Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected,5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” 6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.
7 “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”
9 Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, 11 for on account of himmany of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.
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