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Daily Devotions

John

John 
Day 
Day 158

The defence and commendation of Jesus

Text: John 12 : 1 - 8

THE DEFENCE AND COMMENDATION OF JESUS

Picture the scene in your mind carefully. Jesus and His Disciples were having supper when Mary appeared on the scene carrying a beautiful alabaster flask containing costly spikenard. She stood behind Jesus and suddenly a waft of sweet perfume began to fill the air. There was a quiet snap of a broken alabaster flask. That flask had held its last lot of spikenard. Henceforth it would never be used again.

Astonishment must have come on the faces of the Disciples as they watched Mary pour out the perfume on the head of Jesus! It was as if she was anointing Him? Why did Mary do that? What could she mean by that?

Wait! That was not the only thing she did! She poured the rest of the perfume on the feet of Jesus! What was Mary thinking of when she did that? Pouring perfume on the feet! Who had ever heard of such a thing!

Astonishment gave way to indignation, as Judas started to grumble against her! Soon, the other Disciples also began to criticize her sharply. Mary ignored what they said. She was her own person! She did not feel that she had done wrong! She loved Jesus and she just couldn’t find the right words to convey all that she felt in her heart! This was her special way of telling Jesus what she felt deep in her soul!

What mattered to her was what Jesus said. What would He say to her, or about her? To her great joy Jesus spoke in her defence – once again!

“Let her alone; she has kept this for the day
of My burial. For the poor you have with you
always, but Me you do not have always.”
John 12:7-8

Mary was vindicated! She knew it! She knew that she had not done wrong. Her Saviour had understood her completely, and she did not even need to say a word! That was her Master all over! That was the Jesus she had always known and loved!

We have another version of what Jesus said. Mark recorded in even greater detail the words of Jesus.

“Let her alone. Why do you trouble her?
She has done a good work for Me.
For you have the poor with you always,
and whenever you wish you may do them
good; but Me you do not have always.
She has done what she could.
She has come beforehand to anoint My body
for burial. Assuredly, I say to you, wherever
this Gospel is preached in the whole world,
what this woman has done will also be told
as a memorial to her.”
Mark 14:6-9

THE REBUKE OF THE DISCIPLES

The first thing that Jesus did was to rebuke His Disciples for their hurtful words hurled at Mary. They were wrong and they did not know it. They were so wrong and yet they kept on speaking unkind words against Mary.

The second thing Jesus did was to correct their wrong understanding. Were they really concerned about the poor? There would be countless opportunities to do some good for them. Somehow, the Disciples had failed to appreciate Him.

Was He to be equated with “the poor”? Was He only of equal importance as “the poor”? If so, then the Disciples were dead wrong!

Who was Jesus to His Disciples? How could they think that any gift given to Him especially could be “too much of a gift”? What were the disciples thinking when they said what they did against Mary? Did they realize that they had actually slighted Jesus when they spoke against Mary for pouring out the perfume on Jesus? How could they say that a gift given to Jesus was “wasted”? How did they dare to say such a thing?

THE HONOUR THAT JESUS GAVE TO MARY

Let us take time to consider how Jesus honoured Mary.

1. A Gift from a heart of love is indeed “a good work”.

Jesus knew that Mary understood Him far more deeply at this point of time concerning His death, far more than His Disciples. Though He had spoken to His Disciples time and again concerning His death, they had failed to comprehend what He meant each time He spoke about His “hour”.

2. A Gift filled with deep understanding is to be greatly appreciated.

The Disciples had been misled by Judas. He had evaluated Mary’s gift wrongly. The other Disciples were also blameworthy. They should have known better than to be so quick to criticize and judge Mary! They had failed to see the depth of her faith and understanding that lay behind her gift of love for Jesus.

She, above all the other Disciples had understood that soon Jesus would die. She was giving to Jesus a gift while He was alive. It would be “too late” after His death!

3. A Gift that would always be remembered as a great “memorial”.

Her gift would always be remembered each time the Gospel was preached. That’s about one of the greatest things Jesus could say about a gift!

Jesus had fed the multitudes. He had taught the people. He had performed many mighty miracles for people. He had offered the gift of salvation to all and sundry! But who had given anything to Jesus as Mary did? Frankly, the Gospels are quite reticent in this respect. Mary’s gift was outstanding. She expressed her faith in her love-gift for Jesus

HAVE WE DONE ANYTHING THAT JESUS COULD COMMEND?

If we were to compare ourselves to Mary, how would we fare? If we were to look into our life honestly, could we pick out any “good work” that Jesus could commend highly?