John 12:3-6
Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it.
Do people ever question your loyalty to Jesus? Does anyone ever ask you why you are so seriousabout your faith? Has a friend or loved one ever accused you of being “over-the-top” when it comes to your Christian beliefs, practices, or sacrifices? Perhaps you may have been called a zealot or a nut-jobor a wacko. That last one is a term of endearment for me, and the name of the book I wrote back in 2010 — The Making of a Christian Wacko. It is based on this Vance Havner quote:
“The church is so subnormal that if it ever got back to the New Testament normal it would seem to people to be abnormal.”
In today’s passage, Mary does something that appears to be quite abnormal, using perfume to anoint Jesus that was worth an entire year’s wages for a working man. Judas was not happy about that outrageous use of an asset, not because he cared for the poor, but because he only really cared for himself (he had been helping himself to the disciple’s bag of money). Was Judas offended by Mary’s extravagant offering to Jesus? Are you ever challenged by what other Christians are willing to do that you wouldn’t? Maybe it’s their daily devotional time, or their service at church, or their generosity. Perhaps it’s their willingness to share the gospel or speak out in defense of the faith. Don’t be defensive about it…be inspired by it!
When it comes to our dedication to the faith, is there really too high a price to pay for our eternal salvation? Is there really a line that you can cross when you have taken following Jesus—according to His commands—too far? Thankfully, we don’t have to work to be forgiven. That’s a DONE DEAL. But when it comes to what you sacrifice for Jesus…what you do in His name…how you pursue holiness according to His commands…we should have the outrageous generosity of Mary rather than the jealousy and ulterior motives of Judas.
“It was very costly, but it had not cost a penny too much now that it could be used upon him. There was a pound of it, but there was none too much for him. It was very sweet, but none too sweet for him.” – Charles Spurgeon
