~ A Beautiful Fragrance ~

"Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume." 

John 12:3

Over the last month or so, I have been studying the accounts of Mary of Betheny. This was the sister of Martha and Lazarus, not to be confused with Mary Magdalene or the mother of Jesus.  Out of the four gospels in the Bible, Mary is spoken of three times and each one of those she is at the feet of Jesus! That,  right there, grabbed  my attention! Of her entire life, what was recorded in these gospels was the three accounts of her at the feet of her Jesus. Pretty significant wouldn't you say? 

In this particular instance her love and devotion is shown at such a great price that she is ridiculed by one that walked with Jesus during his ministry.  As Jesus was preparing for his death, Mary took her beautiful alabaster jar (Matt. 26:7) of expensive nard, broke it, and poured over it Jesus.  Now, this was not any perfume that you would buy at the counter of Belk's or Dillard's. No, this was a special ointment that was worth at least a year of wages.  As the perfume anointed her dear Jesus,  she then let her hair down and began to wipe his precious feet all while the beautiful fragrance filled the house.  She seized the moment before his death and burial and, out of pure love,  gave all she had to her Lord. 

What a beautiful example Mary set for us. Though her actions were misunderstood and criticized, she gave her best to the Lord and he knew the intentions of her heart. 

“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “ It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.” 

John 12:7-8

That passage has really struck my heart. Will I give my BEST  to the Lord at all times or will I hold back my acts of worship because of the risk of being misunderstood or criticized? Believe it or not, that happens today even among my Christian friends. My acts of love and devotion have already, at times, been laughed at or mocked because of misunderstanding. But do I stop because people don't understand the intentions of my heart or do I continue, keeping my focus ONLY on the One who is the most worthy of all that I have to offer? You are absolutely right! Devotion and love for our Lord may come at a price. But that price cannot compare to the blessings of giving our all to the One who paid the ultimate price for me and you!

Today, go against the unpopular and give your best to Jesus! Express to him how much you love him and let your beautiful fragrance fill the room!