Mark 14:1-5: a reflection

1It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might seize him by deception and kill him. 2For they said, “Not during the feast, because there might be a riot among the people.” 3While he was at Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster jar of ointment of pure nard—very costly. She broke the jar and poured it over his head. 4But there were some who were indignant among themselves, saying, “Why has this ointment been wasted? 5For this might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” So they grumbled against her.

As the plot to kill Jesus is being laid, a woman comes to him with an alabaster jar of very costly perfume, breaks it open, and pours it over his head, an extravagant act of love and devotion. But some present are indignant, grumbling: Why has this ointment been wasted? It could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor. To them, her lavish devotion looked like waste; they saw extravagant love for Jesus as squandering. But Jesus, as the account will show, received her act, and defended it.

Notice how the woman's extravagant devotion was regarded by some: as waste. Her act was costly, lavish, pouring out something of great value on Jesus; and to the pragmatic, calculating eye, it looked wasteful, money better spent elsewhere. But it was an act of love, an outpouring of devotion on Christ. And what looked like waste to the onlookers was, to Jesus, a beautiful thing, an act of love he received and honored. The world may call extravagant devotion to Christ waste; but Christ receives it as love.

That is worth taking to heart, for our own extravagant devotion to Christ may be called waste by others, or by the calculating voice within us. When we pour out something costly on Christ, our time, our resources, our love, in lavish devotion, the pragmatic voice, in others or in ourselves, may call it waste, money or effort better spent elsewhere. But Christ receives extravagant devotion as love, not waste. Do not let the voice that calls devotion to Christ waste deter you from lavish love for him. What looks like waste to the calculating eye is, to Christ, a beautiful act of love; he receives extravagant devotion, and honors it. Pour out your love and devotion on Christ lavishly, even extravagantly, not deterred by those who call it waste; for the woman's costly act, called waste by some, was received and honored by Christ as an act of love. Let your devotion to Christ be lavish, undeterred by the calculating voice that calls it waste, for Christ receives such devotion as love, as he received the woman's outpouring of costly perfume.

Lord Jesus, as the plot to kill you was being laid, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very costly perfume, broke it open, and poured it over your head, an extravagant act of love; but some were indignant, grumbling, why has this been wasted? it could have been sold and given to the poor. To them, her lavish devotion looked like waste; but you received her act and defended it. Show me how her extravagant devotion was regarded by some: as waste. Her act was costly, lavish; and to the calculating eye, it looked wasteful. But it was an act of love, and what looked like waste to the onlookers was, to you, a beautiful thing. The world may call extravagant devotion to you waste; but you receive it as love. Take that to my heart, for my own extravagant devotion to you may be called waste by others, or by the calculating voice within me. When I pour out something costly on you, my time, my resources, my love, the pragmatic voice may call it waste, better spent elsewhere. But you receive extravagant devotion as love, not waste. Keep me from letting the voice that calls devotion to you waste deter me from lavish love for you. What looks like waste to the calculating eye is, to you, a beautiful act of love. Help me pour out my love and devotion on you lavishly, Lord, not deterred by those who call it waste; for you receive such devotion as love, as you received the woman's outpouring of costly perfume. Let my devotion to you be lavish.