Punchlines (part 4)
Fil Anderson | July 10, 2022
We hope this guide will help you take the good news you hear today into your daily lives.
In today’s passage, Mark paints a portrait of a woman’s extravagant love & fierce devotion to Jesus. Jesus silences her critics, affirms the beauty of her gift, then curiously declares that “wherever the gospel is preached...what she has done will also be told...”
Scripture and Notes
Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. “But not during the festival,” they said, “or the people may riot.”
While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.
“Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”
Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.
Mark 14:1-11 (NIV)
Going Deeper: “She did what she could”
Today we considered the life of someone who soaked up Jesus’ teaching, took his promises to heart and was unafraid of expressing her love for him. This week, spend some time prayerfully reflecting on her story, asking God to give you fresh eyes and an open heart to absorb it.
Thoughts to prayerfully ponder or journal about this week:
What stirs within you as you read this story? What words or phrases speak most deeply to you? Why?
Who do you relate to most in the story? Why?
Reflect on how Jesus has demonstrated his extravagant love for you. How does it feel to receive love this extravagant?
What can you do to demonstrate your love for Jesus? What do you have that you want to pour out on him?
If you feel resistance, consider the reasons, then focus on your love for Jesus.
