“And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.” Mark 14:9
April 5, 2023
It’s Wednesday, Sunday is coming. Special attention is given to Mary of Bethany’s sacrificial gift to Jesus. This Mary was the sister of Lazarus whom Jesus had brought back from the dead. We are not sure how much she was aware of Jesus’ impending death and resurrection. But one thing is sure, Mary’s pouring expensive perfume (value of one year’s wages) over Jesus’ head was costly and unforgettable. So much so that the disciples were outraged over what they saw as a waste of money, especially Judas. While she was worshiping Jesus, His men were critical. The sneak-thief among them, Judas, did some grand-standing about how the money could have been given to the poor. Mary was forever grateful for what Jesus had done for her brother and the fragrance that filled the room was a witness to the value she was placing on Jesus’ resurrection in just a few days. How much did Mary really know about this we don’t know, but we do know she was a good listener and a perceptive theologian (Lk. 10:39). The memorialization of her love lavished on Jesus was a beautiful thing (14:6). The death of Jesus Christ is a fragrance of the sweetness of its satisfaction of the wrath of God toward sin. Mary’s fame lives on. Our love lavished on Jesus Christ fills the world with the aroma of giving for the cause of the gospel. Are we looking for ways to spread the sweet smell of the gospel in a world filled with the stench of death?
H
“For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life.” 2 Cor. 2:15