“‘Leave her alone,’ said Jesus, ‘Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me’” (Mark 14:6, NIV).
The intoxicating aroma instantly permeated the entire house, and Mary was able to bask in Jesus’ presence, knowing she had given Him her very best.
She made the seemingly reckless decision to break a jar of exquisite perfume and pour the contents on Jesus’ head, much to the disgust of others in the room. While onlookers scoffed at such an expensive, irresponsible antic, Mary’s extravagant act of worship was highly esteemed by Jesus Himself, and then recorded in the Scriptures for all future generations to see.
What an inspiring example of worshipping with total abandon! This wasn’t just a case of bringing out the best china for Jesus’ visit. This is a woman who wanted to do a very beautiful thing for her Lord, making the most of her moment with Him. She didn’t merely dab a little perfume behind Jesus’ ears or even present Him with the whole jarful to take away.
Mary worshipped. With every ounce of her being, she lavished adoration on her precious Savior. And Jesus calls this “a beautiful thing”. Beautiful because there were no distractions, no ulterior motives, and nothing else mattered to Mary at that moment except Jesus.
I wonder if that were me, whether I would have been too self-conscious and worried about what others in the room might think. I wonder if I would have allowed the people-pleaser in me to eclipse the worshipper in me.
Jesus longs for us to offer Him “extravagant worship”. Not with perfume, but with our very lives. We were intricately created to worship, and when we truly focus on Jesus, giving our best to Him and Him alone, we are able to do something beautiful for Him.
After all, He has done much for us.
