Hard, Cold, and Sealed

 “Verily I say unto you; wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.” (Mark 14:9)

Three Gospel writers, Matthew, Mark, and John, give their accounts of an evening meal in Bethany, where Jesus and His disciples were among the guests. Mary entered the room of men, carrying an alabaster box of spikenard, a costly, fragrant perfume used to anoint kings. She walked up to Jesus, broke the box, and poured the oil on their beloved Teacher. Some of the disciples thought within themselves that she wasted the oil on such an act. Judas, the treasurer (and embezzler according to John’s Gospel) of the ministry’s funds and the disciple who betrayed Jesus, chastised Mary for wasting the oil they could have sold to help the less fortunate. In turn, knowing their hearts, Jesus rebuked the disciples, saying Mary’s deed would serve as a memorial to her wherever people proclaimed the Gospel throughout the world. In her act of worship, Mary unknowingly anointed our Lord, the one called King of the Jews only days before His crucifixion.

We must guard our hearts against becoming as Judas’—hard, cold, and sealed like the alabaster box (of marble-like substance). His greed placed him in a position for Satan's use in the betrayal of Christ. He faced shame and regretted his actions but did not repent; he never acknowledged Jesus as Lord and did not enter God’s heavenly home after ending his life. We, too, risk allowing the enemy of our soul to manipulate us for his purposes by our disobedience, stubbornness, selfishness, greediness, and a host of other sins that stand in the way of—seal us from—our usefulness to God’s kingdom work. So, we must stay clean before our Lord and come to the end of ourselves and, like Mary, pour out to Him in the act of worship. Like the container of expensive oil, a believer’s broken life releases the priceless, fragrant contents of Christ as a balm of blessing to others. As we pour out to them, the pouring is unto our Lord.

Only the disciples criticized Mary’s deed of “pouring out,” and Jesus rebuked them. You, too, may face ridicule or rebuke by others for “wasting” God’s precious resources entrusted to you. But as you pour yourself out in service unto the Lord, do so in humility as Mary did when she dried Jesus’ feet with her hair. Today God reminds us of her expression of devotion recorded in His Word as a memorial to her, just as Jesus said. Our dedication and service to the Lord may go unnoticed on this side of eternity, but remember, God records everything in His books.