Mark 14:3
Have
you ever had someone do something so nice, so thoughtful, and so kind, that
there just weren’t words to express your gratitude and humility? The timing was
perfect. It was just what you needed, and so much more. And yet it could have
been something so small, so seemingly insignificant, that it could have gone
unnoticed, if it weren’t so mindblowingly wonderful.
You
see, it isn’t the size of the gift that makes the difference. Sometimes it is
that the gift fits the need perfectly. It was just what was needed at just the
right time. I have had people offer me a small screw as I struggle to put
something back together, and it meant so much. Or offer me a hand as I was
slipping. Or give a smile and a knowing wink when things are going really well.
Jesus
has just such a gift given to him in our text. He is with His disciples at the
home of Simon eating a meal. Hospitality was a large part of the culture of Jesus’
day. Normally the host would provide for the guests everything the guests
needed. That was the job of the host. It came with the territory.
When
someone comes to our homes, we offer then something to drink and a place to
sit. We don’t make them stand as we invite them into our homes. We try to make
them feel like part of the family, like they are welcome, wanted. We might
offer them a snack. We try to engage them in conversation that reinforces their
worth. If we do these types of things, people will want to come back for a
visit.
The
unnamed woman came into Simon’s house. We don’t know very much about her. We
know more about Simon than we do her. Simon is called “the leper”, not the
nicest term of endearment. Being a “leper” was like being HIV positive, or
having Ebola. People who had leprosy were outcasts. They couldn’t have contact
with other people. They had to live in separate communities, cutoff from their
past life. Ordinary people didn’t have contact with lepers. They didn’t understand
the disease process and infection control. They thought they would catch it.
Something
must have happened in Simon’s life to allow him back into His home, and back to
a normal life. He must have been cured, and the name stuck. It can be hard to
get rid of a reputation. Long after the name no longer fits, the name can stay.
I think that is why the LORD sometimes changes people’s names, to give them a
break with their past. Maybe Simon took joy in the change that had taken place.
The old name reminded him of just where he had been, and where he was now.
And
into his house, comes a woman who has also been touched by Jesus. She is
willing to put it all on the line. She takes something of great value and
wastes it on Jesus, or at least that is how many of the people reacted to her
act. She pours this perfume on Jesus head. Now before you freak out about
having oil poured on the head, this was a common way to honor people. You would
anoint a king by pouring oil on their heads. If we weren’t so hyper about clean
hair, I think many people would love to have warm oil poured on the head. I can
imagine it being very therapeutic.
She
breaks the jar. She knows she is going to use it all. It won’t get re-corked
with any leftovers. She goes all out in her honoring of Jesus. She holds
nothing back.
When
was the last time you went all out in your worship of Jesus? You didn’t care
about what others thought, you just let Jesus know in no uncertain terms that
He was first in your book. You poured your whole being into what you were
doing, not expecting anything in return. You just gave. It was what you wanted
to do, and you did it.
Maybe
we need to do more “wasting” like this!