(1) Mary
12:3 Then Mary took three quarters of a pound of expensive aromatic oil from pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus. She then wiped his feet dry with her hair. (Now the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfumed oil.)
(NET) Nard or spikenard is a fragrant oil from the root and spike of the nard plant of northern India. This aromatic oil, if made of something like nard, would have been extremely expensive, costing up to a year’s pay for an average laborer.
Not only had she spent a lot of money buying the best thing for Jesus, she wiped Jesus' feet dry with her hair.
(NET) Nard or spikenard is a fragrant oil from the root and spike of the nard plant of northern India. This aromatic oil, if made of something like nard, would have been extremely expensive, costing up to a year’s pay for an average laborer.
Not only had she spent a lot of money buying the best thing for Jesus, she wiped Jesus' feet dry with her hair.
(IVP) It was customary to anoint the heads of important guests, but a host would provide only water for their feet. Her brother was resurrected from death by Jesus. She might do this out of her gratitude.
12:7 So Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She has kept it for the day of my burial.
(PNTC) In the culture of the day, it was not thought inappropriate to spend lavish sums at a funeral, including the cost of the perfumes that were designed to stifle the smell of decay (cf. notes on 11:39)
(PNTC) In the culture of the day, it was not thought inappropriate to spend lavish sums at a funeral, including the cost of the perfumes that were designed to stifle the smell of decay (cf. notes on 11:39)
The fragrance of the perfumed oil filled the house. Everyone knew that. Jesus also wanted everyone to know that He was going to die. Mary might or might not understand that Jesus was going to die, but her act became a good chance for Jesus to announce that to everyone. The focus of this passage should not be the cost of the aromatic oil, but the fact that Jesus was going to die.
Reflection: Extravagant offering might caught our attention, but the most costly offering was done by Jesus. Do we remember Jesus' death? Do we only do that once a month during the church' communion? Or do we remember that regularly?
(2) Judas
12:4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was going to betray him) said, 12:5 “Why wasn’t this oil sold for three hundred silver coins and the money given to the poor?”12:6 (Now Judas said this not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief. As keeper of the money box, he used to steal what was put into it.)
(NET) 300 silver coins=a silver coin worth a standard day’s wage, so the value exceeded what a laborer could earn in a year
(NET) Judas was of bad character before the betrayal of Jesus. John states that he was a thief and had responsibility for the finances of the group. More than being simply a derogatory note about Judas’ character, the inclusion of the note at this particular point in the narrative may be intended to link the frustrated greed of Judas here with his subsequent decision to betray Jesus for money. The parallel accounts in Matthew and Mark seem to indicate that after this incident Judas went away immediately and made his deal with the Jewish authorities to deliver up Jesus. Losing out on one source of sordid gain, he immediately went out and set up another.
However, Jesus did not point out Judas' heart right the way. He said, "Leave her alone" v.7a. Jesus knew that Judas would be punished for his sin eventually.
However, Jesus did not point out Judas' heart right the way. He said, "Leave her alone" v.7a. Jesus knew that Judas would be punished for his sin eventually.
Reflection: We might want Jesus to point out Judas' heart right the way, but He did not. God has a plan and we should trust Him. He knows what He is doing.
Audrey
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