The Lord Jesus came again to the town of Bethany, and those who loved Him made a supper in His honor. This may not have been very long after He raised Lazarus from death, and Lazarus sat at the table, and the disciples were there.
Mary, the sister of Lazarus, brought sweet-smelling oil and put it on the feet of Jesus, and on His head also (Matt. 26:6-7). This would seem a strange thing to us, but in that land it was a mark of respect to pour oil on the head of kings or great men. Also, olive oil was often put on the feet of a guest who had walked over rough roads.
Costly Gift
But Mary did not use the olive oil which was common there, but a costly oil, called spikenard, obtained from other lands, the very best she could use.
Sweet smelling oils were also used in preparing a dead person for burial. When one disciple objected that Mary had used so expensive an oil for Jesus, He said she had done it for His burial.
He had told them plainly that He must suffer and die, but the disciples were so certain He would then be King, that they did not think He would die. Mary seemed to have believed His words about death and suffering; she longed to do what would soothe Him, and felt she must do it before.
She used her own hair to wipe or spread the oil tenderly on His feet. There is no word written as being said by Mary, but from Jesus’ words we know her act gave Him the most honor of all that day. He knew she was grateful to Him that He would give His life.
Worship and Praise
We learn from this that the Lord Jesus values the thought of each one who is grateful for His death and suffering for them. No one now can do for Him as Mary did, or as those who made Him the supper, but all who believe Him as their Saviour can be grateful to Him for His death. Their praise may also bless others, as the sweet odor of the oil was known to the others when it filled the house that night.
Jesus’ work of power to raise the dead and all His other works deserve our praise, but His work in death was the greatest of all, because He suffered for our sins. Except for that there could be no other blessings.
It is told that many persons learned that Jesus had come to Bethany, and they went there to see Him and to see Lazarus. They too believed in Jesus. They were, no doubt, people who lived away and had come to Jerusalem for the Passover feast and there heard of the raising of Lazarus. Bethany was close by that city (John 11:55).
The leaders of the temple found that still more people were believing in Jesus as the Christ, and they became more wicked in their plans to stop Him.
Further Meditation:
1. Why was oil put on the heads of men in those days?
2. How can we do something for the Lord Jesus today that is similar to what Mary did so long ago?
3. You will find a nice little article on “oil” in the Concise Bible Dictionary by G. Morrish. It gives different ways oil was used and what it symbolizes in the scriptures.