Mark 14:9 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.
At the house of Simon the Leper in Bethany,
Jesus sat at the table, and a woman appeared before thee.
He sat at the host’s table before the prepared meat,
Then something astonishing happened with how the woman chose to greet.
She took an alabaster box with a precious spikenard ointment,
Then broke it to anoint the head of the one God the Father had sent.
Soon the time would come for Christ to die at Calvary,
The oil was for the burial of the One who would set us free!
With indignation, His disciples spoke with unwarranted haste,
Exclaiming that the use of the expensive oil was a waste.
For it could have been sold for three hundred pence and given to the poor,
So they murmured against against the woman, whose heart was on Jesus whom she sought to adore.
Instantly, Jesus brought their folly to a halt,
Explaining to the men whom her actions did exalt.
For the poor would be with them always,
But He would be taken from them in the coming days.
Anointed in preparation for His willing death and burial to redeem us from our fall.
A sacrifice of ointment in honor of a sacrifice to us all.
Because of her good deed in anointing our Savior,
Jesus declared a statement of favor.
Wherever in the world where the Gospel is shared,
Her actions will also be a spoken of as a memorial of how she cared.
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As I wrote this, one of the things that caught my attention is how what this woman is doing for Jesus is being reflected through both Jesus and the woman, and this is also how she is given favor. She is making a sacrifice, just as Jesus is about to sacrifice himself. She is preparing Him for a memorial that is to come, and His declaration is the same for her in that where the gospel is preached, this will also be remembered as a memorial to her.
Another thing that stood out is that during this encounter, the disciples are upset about this because of the money they could’ve sold the perfume for (Mark 14:4). The next event following this immediately turns to Judas betraying Jesus for money (Mark 14:10-11).
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