March 8

Mark 14

I learned that 2000 years ago it was customary when guests came to dinner in your home to anoint their heads with oil.  Jesus rode into Jerusalem as a King, so it would only make sense that His head be anointed with oil when He entered the house for the Passover meal.  However, His head was more than anointed, this woman went much farther than the customary greeting.  She poured the entire flask on the Lords head. I think this woman had more discernment than the disciples at this point because their opinion of her and what she had done didn't really phase her.  The disciples thought that this extravagant anointing with oil was a waste, but Jesus received it as a good work (Kalos in Greek - meaning winsome and lovely). With her simple love and devotion to Jesus, the woman seemed to understand what the disciples did not - that Jesus was about to die, and she intended this gift to be a preparation for his burial.  It seems that the disciples did not want to think about the death of Jesus. When Peter heard of it, he tried to talk Jesus out of it. The woman in our reading had a different perspective, and instead of debating or denying His death, she turned it into an occasion of deep devotion and worship.  So as I read this in the context of the Passover setting and all that it symbolizes, I thought about my own love and devotion for Jesus. My hearts desire is to  worship with more than my words in a song. Like the woman, I pray Jesus sees my heart in my worship and devotion. I was having trouble putting my thoughts and emotions into words and I found this quote by Charles Spurgeon: "Nothing puts life into men like a dying Savior. Get you close to Christ, and carry the remembrance of him about you from day to day, and you will do right royal deeds. Come, let us slay sin, for Christ was slain. Come, let us bury all our pride, for Christ was buried. Come, let us rise to newness of life, for Christ has risen. Let us be united with our crucified Lord in His one great object - let us live and die with Him, and then every action of our lives will be very beautiful." Our love, worship and devotion to Jesus must be expressed personally -- straight from our hearts.  The woman in today's reading poured out a flask of oil to express her love for Jesus and it was received as a good work although others thought it foolish.  My prayer for all of us today is that as we worship and express our love for Jesus, we are confident in knowing that it will be received as lovely and like the woman in the passage, we won't be phased by anyone else's opinion.   Be Blessed.


Randi