The woman with the alabaster jar

It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him, for they said, "Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar from the people." And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. There were some who said to themselves indignantly, "Why was the ointment wasted like that? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor." And they scolded her. But Jesus said, "Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me.  For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me.  She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial.  And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her."  Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to betray him. - Mark 14:1‭-‬11 ESV

Rev. Ryan Egli

The people at the temple who held the authority were seeking to kill Jesus not knowing that the temple was to be destroyed.

Men don't get it

Ryan wears glasses 90% of the time. But things sometimes get blurry. And it takes a bit to figure out that his glasses were so dirty. Back when he was younger, he didn't realize his vision was getting bad and he needed glasses. It wasn't until he got glasses and suddenly everything was in HD that he realized how much he was missing. So it is with the temple authorities. They needed spiritual glasses. The scribes, the chief priests, and the Pharisees all wanted Jesus dead, but they didn't want to disturb the Passover. We don't have a modern day equivalent. The city of Jerusalem swelled five or six times. This was a tense time and the men did not want to grab Jesus out in the open. They were afraid of a riot or uproar from the people. These men saw Jesus but they didn't see him for who he was. They sought to grab him by stealth and eliminate him quietly. Judas gave them that opportunity.

A woman does

In this passage, there is a woman who was clear eyed and went down to business immediately. She comes to a dinner party uninvited. Jesus is having dinner with Simon the leper. He didn't have leprosy at the time, but rather was formerly a leper. Women were not deemed very important. They suffered from poverty and were often excluded from many areas of public life. Many rabbinic teachings sought to exclude woman and cover them up... Even imprison them. But this woman comes to Jesus and breaks open this perfume over his feet. This isn't just any perfume. This was an expensive perfume worth 300 denarii or a years wages. This was a treasure, simply the best she had to offer.

The woman was rebuked by the men at the table. They spoke of how this perfume should've been sold and money given to the poor. They sneered at her. So this attitude is still found today among the religious today. They seek to silence a voice that they disagree with. She saw clearly, even more clear than the men at the table.

Jesus response

Jesus defends her. But not simply as an act of chivalry, defending a poor woman. He affirms that she was acting rightly. She was preparing him for his death and burial. He speaks prophetically that this woman would be remembered whenever the gospel was shared. 

Jesus is not dismissing the poor. The woman's action is right for this particular time and place. Jesus is no longer around to be anointed with costly perfume, but Christians should continue to care for the poor and to preach the gospel. 

Don't. Don't be like the temple authorities looking for power. Don't be like Judas selling friends out for money. Don't be like the dinner guests sneering at the woman. Don't abuse your power and spiritual authority for selfish gain and sinful desires.

Be like the woman in loving on Jesus with your best.