What can we learn from Jesus' defense of Mary's actions in John 12:7? Setting of the Account “Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead... Then Mary took about a pint of expensive perfume, made of pure nard, and anointed Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.” • Bethany, the village of dear friends—Lazarus, Martha, and Mary—just two miles from Jerusalem and buzzing with Passover pilgrims. • The perfume (pure nard) was worth about three hundred denarii, roughly a year’s wages (Mark 14:5). • Mary kneels, pours, wipes with her own hair—an act of extravagant humility. The Objection Raised John 12:4-6 recounts Judas’s protest that the perfume could have been sold and given to the poor, “but he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to take from what was put into it.” • Judas masks greed with a pious-sounding concern. • His words reveal a heart far from the Lord despite outward proximity. Jesus’ Defense: Meaning and Implications “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “She has kept this perfume in preparation for the day of My burial.” • He protects Mary from criticism, showing that sincere worshipers are safe under His care (Psalm 91:14). • He affirms that Mary’s act is prophetic—pointing to His imminent death and burial (Isaiah 53:9; Mark 14:8). • He reveals that true disciples discern and respond to the cross before it happens; Mary perceives what the Twelve still struggle to grasp (Luke 18:34). • He sets priority: honoring the Savior outranks even noble charitable projects when the two are in tension (Matthew 26:10-11). • He highlights the fragrance of devotion that fills the house, anticipating the gospel’s aroma filling the world (2 Corinthians 2:15). What We Can Learn Today • Worship that costs something delights the Lord. Cheap, token gestures never carry the same fragrance (2 Samuel 24:24). • Acts of love springing from a heart fixed on Christ may be misunderstood or criticized, yet Jesus notices and defends. • Genuine compassion for the poor flows from, not in place of, wholehearted devotion to Christ (James 1:27). • Spiritual discernment grows in those who linger at Jesus’ feet; Mary’s posture in Luke 10:39 prepared her for this moment. • The cross is central. Even our good works lose focus if detached from the atoning death and resurrection of Jesus (1 Corinthians 2:2). • Extravagant giving to Christ is never wasted; heaven’s record books differ from earth’s calculators (Philippians 4:18-19). • Our Savior values inner motive above outward appearance; Judas sounded charitable, Mary looked wasteful, but the realities were reversed (Proverbs 16:2). Related Scriptures for Further Reflection • Mark 14:6-9 – Parallel account confirming the memorial nature of Mary’s act. • Matthew 26:10-13 – Emphasis on preaching this story with the gospel worldwide. • Luke 10:38-42 – Mary choosing “the good portion” at Jesus’ feet. • Romans 12:1 – Offering ourselves as living sacrifices, “holy and pleasing to God.” • 1 Peter 1:18-19 – We were redeemed “with the precious blood of Christ.” • 2 Corinthians 9:7 – God loves a cheerful giver, illustrated perfectly in Mary. |
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