2There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.
3Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment."
John 12: 1-3, KJV
I am sure most have heard the story of Mary washing the feet of Jesus with oil, but like all passages of the Bible what did you get out of it? Does this story merely sound nice and any form of meaning fly right over your head completely? What does the oil symbolize? What does the story mean at all?
First I will explain what spikenard is and what it signified in Bible times. Spikenard is a flowering plant that if you crush and distill the underground stems can make rich perfume. Back in Bible times spikenard perfume was very expensive. In fact spikenard could be sold for 300 denarii which was about a years wages. This fact was pointed out by Judas Iscariot after Mary anointed his feet. Judas was the keeper of the money-bag and complained that the money from the perfume could have been used to help out the poor. Judas really didn't care about doing good works but secretly wanted the money for himself; a fact that Jesus knew of plainly. Judas had a history of stealing from the money-bag. But even his excuse, if ethically and morally sound, still wouldn't hold up to Jesus who said, "Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this. For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always."
The anointed spikenard oil was the most expensive thing Mary had and she gave it to Jesus. And that's what Christ wants out of all of us.
Your most expensive perfume? NO DUMMY!
The perfume symbolizes so much more.
My favorite verse of this chapter is the last half of the final verse: "...and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment."
Probably because this verse stuck out to me so much that I finally understood what the oil symbolized.
Love. Pure, unconditional love. Mary didn't wash Jesus' feet to kiss his butt. She didn't wash his feet because they stank from walking barefoot all day long. No. Mary washed the feet of Christ because she loved him. Above all other things. Above her expensive perfume. Above the poor. Above the disciples, Lazerus, her family, and friends. Mary loved Jesus above all things and that's what God wants out of us all. Because when you love God above everything else, like odor of the ointment, it fills the room you are in.
Later on Jesus washed the feet of his disciples during the Last Supper. He also had them wash each others' feet. He even washed the feet of Judas Iscariot, who he knew would later betray him.
I don't intend on blogging everything Jesus stood for because he stood for quite a bit. But in a span of two days I can tell you some of the last few things he told his disciples, Mary, and even all of us before he was crucified.
1. Love God above all things. Your most precious love goes to Christ.
2 Love all others, including your enemies. If you think it's hard to love people who have done you wrong think about what Christ went through knowing BEFORE they even did it.
3. Love yourself. This is the hardest one to explain, but note that it is below everyone else including your enemies. There is no greater love than the one shed his blood for his friend. (John 15:13).
But when Christ answered Judas it wasn't just a "IN YO FACE" reply but also a warning from a loving father. Jesus didn't want Judas to do wrong. So obviously he didn't want Judas to want to do wrong either. Because Christ loves us and wants us to do the right thing. And not only does that mean the only way to truly love ones self is to do right but also to be completely selfless.
I told you it is hard to explain. Self worth is a fickle mistress...
So I guess it goes to show that bad love may stink, but true love leaves room filled with the finest of fragrance.