Mary Did A Beautiful Thing Pt3

Then Mary took an alabaster jar containing one half a litre of very costly perfume, made of pure spikenard. She broke the flask and poured the perfume on Jesus’ head and feet as He reclined at the table and then wiped His feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But when His disciples saw it, along with Judas Iscariot (who was later to betray him), they said among themselves, “Why was this fragrant perfume wasted? For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they criticized her sharply. Judas said this, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, had the money box; and used to take what was put in it. (Combined Gospel Reading)


1 LET US LOOK AT MARY’S ACTIONS

1. Mary’s heart was motivated by love

Firstly Mary was motivated by the love of Jesus in this story as she sacrificed something precious to her and very costly.  To Mary Jesus was the "Resurrection and the Life". She knew Him personally and witnessed the resurrection of her brother, Lazarus from the dead after being in the tomb for three days. She heard the words of Jezus to Mary when He said in John 11 and verse 25, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. ²⁶And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”. Jesus was her Messiah and her devotion was seen when she sat at the feet of Jesus but somehow she wanted to return her love and devotion to her Lord for saving her. She wanted to do something for the Lord.

Charles Spurgeon described this devotion of Mary: "I think, in the first place, this act was done from the impulse of a loving heart, and this it was that made it so remarkable. Ah! my brethren, the heart is better than the head, after all, and the renewed heart is infinitely superior to the head; for, somehow or other, though doubtless grace will renew the understanding, yet it takes longer to sanctify the understanding, than it doth the affections; or, at least, the heart is the first affected; it is that which is first touched, and being swifter in its goings forth than the head; it is generally more uncontaminated by the atmosphere around, and more clearly perceives that which is right. We in our day fall into the habit of calculating whether a thing is our duty or not; but have we never an impulse of the heart more impressive, and more expressive, than the mere arithmetic of moral obligations? Our heart says to us, “Arise, go and visit such and such an one who is sick:” we stop and say, “Is it my duty? If I do not go, will not somebody else go? Is the service absolutely requisite?” Or thy heart has said perhaps, once upon a time, “Devote of thy substance largely to the cause of Christ.” If we obeyed the heart we should do it at once; but instead of that, we stop and shake the head, and we begin to calculate the question whether it is precisely our duty. This woman did no such thing. It was not her duty..."

Not only was her love expressed in this act but she showed her love in her sacrificing her expensive perfume to her Lord. Her sacrifice of half a litre of pure spikenard from her alabaster jar onto the head and feet of Jesus would have cost her a over three hundred denarii equivalent to a years worth of wages. Imagine a whole year's worth of wages sacrificed on the Lord Jesus head and feet in a few minutes. Without a cost, there is no sacrifice. For Mary there is nothing too great for us in our sacrifices to God for what Jesus had done for her. She wanted to bless Jesus back for what He had done for her in saving her life and showing her the truth of God in Jesus Christ and His salvation. Mary did not ask how much it costs, but asked who will it touch”. Her accusation against her was by the disciples of Jesus, of all people. The horrified disciples' accusation was that she could have sold it and given the amount to the poor, but chose to spend it on Jesus in response to His love for her.

2. Mary sacrificed something very costly
It was as though the disciples were saying "MARY, WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?" This was 
extravagance in the extreme, flambouyance and a waste in the eyes of the disciples

It was as though the disciples were saying to Mary, "MARY, WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?" This was extravagance in the extreme, flamboyance and a waste in the eyes of the disciples. But they did not know the heart of Mary or her attitudes of devotion and thankfulness to her Lord. 

3. She gave it all

Next Mary broke the alabaster jar to the point of no return. The whole years wage poured on to Jesus that could have been sold and spent on the poor, but Jesus saw something in Mary that was deeper and more beautiful than any could imagine. She looked at what she owned, she looked over her belongings on the earth, what could she give back of her own for such a precious and infinite gift of salvation that was to last forever in Heaven. What could she give back for the extraordinary sacrifice Jesus was about to make for the world. What can I give, what is there in my house I can give back? I imagine Mary thinking in her mind until she is reminded of her alabaster jar, hidden behind her furniture in her room. Yes her mind thinks, I can give this, I can sacrifice this to the Lord for all that Jesus has done for me. Nothing is too much for my Lord, Jesus. It might represent all I own, but this is me, this is what I own and I give all of me. It reminds me of the following true story.

A nine-year-old boy once lived in a rural town in Tennessee. His house was in a poor area of the community. A church had a bus ministry that came knocking on his door one Saturday afternoon. The kid came to answer the door and greeted the bus pastor. The bus pastor asked if his parents were home and the small boy told him that his parents take off every weekend and leave him at home to take care of his little brother. The bus pastor couldn’t believe what the kid said and asked him to repeat it. The youngster gave the same answer and the bus pastor asked to come in and talk with him. They went into the living room and sat down on an old couch with the foam and springs exposed. The bus pastor asked the kid, "Where do you go to church?" The young boy surprised the visitor by replying, "I’ve never been to church in my whole life." The bus pastor thought to himself about the fact that his church was less than three miles from the child’s house. "Are you sure you have never been to church?" He asked again. "I sure haven’t", came his answer. Then the bus pastor said, "Well, son, more important than going to church, have you ever heard the greatest love story ever told?" and then he proceeded to share the Gospel with this little nine year old boy. The young lad’s heart began to be tenderized and at the end of the bus pastor’s story the bus pastor asked if the boy wanted to receive this free gift from God. The youngster exclaimed, "You bet! The kid and the bus pastor got on their knees and the lad invited Jesus into his little heart and received the free gift of salvation. They both stood up and the bus pastor asked if he could pick the kid up for church the next morning. "Sure," the nine old replied. The bus pastor got to the house early the next morning and found the lights off. He let himself in and snaked his way through the house and found the little boy asleep in his bed. He woke up the little boy and his brother and helped get them dressed. They got on the bus and ate a donut for breakfast on their way to church. Keep in mind that this boy had never been to church before. The church was a real big one. The little kid just sat there, clueless of what was going on. A few minutes into the service these tall unhappy guys walked down to the front and picked up some wooden plates. One of the men prayed and the kid with utter fascination watched them walk up and down the aisles. He still didn’t know what was going on. All of a sudden like a bolt of lightning it hit the kid what was taking place. These people must be giving money to Jesus. He then reflected on the free gift of life that he had received just twenty-four hours earlier. He immediately searched his pockets, front and back, and couldn’t find a thing to give Jesus. By this time the offering plate was being passed down his aisle and with a broken heart he just grabbed the plate and held on to it. He finally let go and watched it pass on down the aisle. He turned around to see it passed down the aisle behind him. And then his eyes remained glued on the plate as it was passed back and forth, back and forth all the way to the rear of the sanctuary. Then he had an idea. This little nine-year-old boy, in front of God and everybody, got up out of his seat. He walked about eight rows back, grabbed the usher by the coat and asked to hold the plate one more time. Then he did the most astounding thing I have ever heard of. He took the plate, sat it on the carpeted church floor and stepped into the center of it. As he stood there, he lifted his little head up and said, "Jesus, I don’t have anything to give you today, but just me. I give you me!"

The boy couldn’t give more than all of himself! Mary was giving Jesus, all she had. Coming to Christ is about giving your all, wealth, heart, soul, mind and strength/ & as you are. Everything you own and are is the Lord's. When we come to Christ we come with the attitude that He is Lord of all our mind, heart, energies and possessions. He is either Lord of all or Lord of none in our lives.
What Mary did was not a half-hearted thing. It’s not a half hearted thing, where we can choose how much to Give back to Him in our lives. He wants our all and nothing less. Jesus does not discount or mark down our obedience and say its OK, 50% will do, 50% of your life will do. Jesus never ever waters down what He demands of His people. There is no watered down Gospel, with Jesus it is always all or none. John Bunyan, when he was converted, heard a voice from Heaven as though God was speaking to Him, “will you keep your sins and go to Hell or leave your sins and go to Heaven”. What will you do in your life, will you keep your sins and go to Hell or leave your sins and go to Heaven??