There was a variety of perfumes and ointments on the shop shelves in elegant jars and flasks. We can only imagine how she made the purchase. Maybe it went something like this: “Sir, what’s the best and most exquisite perfume I can buy?”

The perfumer knew his stuff. He carefully lifted the long-necked flask off the shelf. He explained:

“A botanist friend of mine told me this beautiful fragrance is an ointment extracted from the Nardostachys jatamansi plant in India – commonly known as the picita. This is top-of-the-line. The Perfumers’ Guild endorses this product as one of exclusive and outstanding value. Of course, it is not cheap. It is definitely the best we have.”

“That’s precisely what I want. The best for the best,” the shopper thought. Her mind was flooded with emotion. She had heard the Master say He would die at the hand of those who rejected Him. If this happened, she wanted to be sure she had the very best ointment she could ever buy to anoint His body for burial. After all, He meant everything to her.

Sure the cost was high. But one year’s wages was not too high a price to pay for such a product for such a man. The best for the best!

Even when Lazarus died, Mary did not use the spikenard on her brother. As much as she loved her brother, her love for Jesus ran deeper. He sat on the throne of her heart.

Did Mary discover, while sitting at His feet, that Jesus would rise from the dead and His body would need no preserving balm or ointment after all? Is that what prompted her to use it beforehand?

Carefully carrying the elegant spikenard flask into Simon the Leper’s house for the supper meal, Mary’s heart throbbed with love and devotion for Jesus. She could see the dark clouds of hostile opposition swirling around her Master with intensifying ferocity. Now was her opportunity.

And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head.  Mark 14:3

Mary breaks open the flask and pours out the rich ointment upon Christ – His head and His feet (John 12:3) The fragrance fills the house. While others perceived the act to be a waste of money – Jesus Himself accepted it as an outstanding act of love, devotion, and worship to be remembered down through the ages.

Now read the contrast at the end of the same chapter:

They all condemned him as deserving death. And some began to spit on him and to cover his face and to strike him, saying to him, “Prophesy!” And the guards received him with blows. Mark 14:64-65

Dear Child of God, there are still two sides. Two camps. Two extremes.

As you go about your business today, remember the world is still divided. There are those who say He is worthy of the best perfume-nard available, while others treat Him with spit-ful disdain. Given the stark contrast between the two, why would we ever lean towards the world!

In recent times, in what way have I shown my love to Him and in what ways has it been obvious that He has the first claim on my life? He is worthy of my best – not my left-overs. The best for the best!

Walk carefully and closely with the Lord today,

Warmly in Christ
Peter Ramsay

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