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A silent but greatly symbolic gift

Text: John 12 : 1 - 8

A SILENT BUT GREATLY SYMBOLIC GIFT

As Jesus and His Disciples sat down and had supper with His Disciples, Mary quietly entered the dining room. No one questioned her presence, for after all she and her siblings owned the domicile. John carefully noted what transpired.

“Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil
of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus and
wiped His feet with her hair. And the house
was filled with the fragrance of the oil.”
John 12:3

It is interesting to note that Matthew recorded another aspect of this incident.

“And when Jesus was in Bethany at the home
of Simon the leper, a woman came to Him
having an alabaster flask of very costly
fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head
as He sat at the table.”
Matthew 26:6-7

Mark also had an interesting note to add. He wrote,

“And being in Bethany at the house of Simon
the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman
came having an alabaster flask of very costly
oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and
poured it on His head.”
Mark 14:3

When we piece together the different aspects of the same story, we have a beautiful story of a disciple who wanted to express her deep love and appreciation for her Master!

All three Gospel writers noted firstly that the spikenard was “very costly”. Spikenard was used in the making of perfume and ointments in those days.

Just how expensive was it? John noted the calculation that Judas Iscariot made as he grumbled at this “waste”.

“But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s
son, who would betray Him, said, ‘Why was this
fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii
and given to the poor?'”
John 12:4-5

Mark noted that Mary broke the alabaster flask. This symbolized the fact that she would never use that flask ever again. Her gift to Jesus was not just the spikenard, but also the flask. Three hundred denarii represented a whole year of wages for the common labourer.

Matthew and Mark noted that the oil was poured on the head of Jesus, while John noted that the ointment was poured at the feet of the Master. There is no contradiction at all. There was enough oil in the alabaster flask to pour it on both the head and feet of Jesus!

What did this gift symbolize? All three Gospel writers were silent about what Mary said. Presumably, she did not say anything at all to Jesus. She must have felt that she did not need to do that as far as Jesus was concerned. He would know the meaning of her action! He did, but His Disciples did not!

THE INDIGNATION OF THE DISCIPLES

The Disciples did not understand the heart of Mary. Perhaps, it was because they were men and thus they saw things from a pragmatic financial standpoint. Judas Iscariot led the indignant charge against Mary. He was the one who grumbled out loud against Mary. However, he was soon joined by the other disciples who appeared to agree with his sentiments. Matthew and Mark noted the anger felt by the men Disciples.

“But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant,
saying, ‘Why this waste? For this fragrant oil might
have been sold for much and given to the poor.'”
Matthew 26:9
(Mark 14:4-5)

Were the Disciples right in their indignation? Did they have a right to criticize her sharply for her expression of faith and her love for Jesus?

The Disciples spoke out of turn here. There are a number of things that we need to note concerning their indignation.

1. Mary was within her right to give what was hers!

2. She did not have to consult with the Disciples concerning what she gave to Jesus.

3. The Disciples had no right to condemn an action that they obviously did not understand!

4. The Disciples saw things from the perspective of money. Was that the only perspective of a gift? Was the monetary perspective the only true perspective of evaluating a gift?

5. They were carried away by the words of Judas Iscariot. John made an important comment concerning Judas and what he said,

“This he said, not that he cared for the poor,
but because he was a thief, and had the money box;
and he used to take what was put in it.”
John 12:6

The Disciples were unable to see through their “friend” Judas. They figured that he was right in his judgment and they spoke up against Mary – and in her home too! They ate at her home, and presumably slept in her home, and there they were foolishly criticizing her for her gift of love for Jesus!

Mary kept silent all this while. She was silent when her sister Martha once criticized her for not helping enough (Luke 10:38-42). She was silent now as the men disciples criticized her for her extravagance. Interestingly, Martha her sister did not speak a word against her. Neither did her brother Lazarus raise his voice against his sister. They must have understood their sister Mary very well by now!