Mark wrote, “After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death. But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people”, and in chapter fourteen and verse three of his book, Mark shared how, “there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment”, where we read:
And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head.
The verse reads, “And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious;” Mark began with the words, “and being in Bethany” or “and being present in the village known as Bethany which is located at the Mount of Olives which is about two miles (3 km) from Jerusalem and on or near the normal road to Jericho” “in the house of Simon” which means “within the dwelling place, abode and habitation of Simon whose name means little rock or stone” “the leper” or “who was formerly affected with the scaly and rough disease known as leprosy”, “as he sat at meat” which means “while Jesus was lain down, lying prostrate and reclined at a meal”, “there came a woman” or “there arose and appeared a female human being” “having an alabaster box” which means “a box made of alabaster which is a mineral or rock that is soft and often used for carving as well as processed for plaster powder” “of ointment” or “of myrrh or perfumed oil” “of spikenard” which means “of nard which is the head or spike of a fragrant East Indian plant belonging to the genus Valerianna which yields a juice of delicious odor which the ancients used (either pure or mixed) in the preparation of a most precious ointment” “very precious” or “excellent, of surpassing value, very costly and requiring very great outlay”. Mark shared how Jesus was relining at a meal in “Simon the leper's” home in “Bethany” when a “woman” came in to the house with a “box made of alabaster” which contained a very precious ointment called “spikenard”.
The verse continues, “and she brake the box, and poured it on his head.” Mark added the words, “and she brake” which means “and the woman broke, cracked into pieces or shattered” “the box” or “the alabaster box”, “and poured it” which means “and poured over the very precious ointment of spikenard” “on his head” or “upon Jesus' head of His body”. Mark shared how the woman who entered Simon's house with the “alabaster box” filled with precious “perfume” broke the “box” and poured the ointment out upon Jesus' head.
When we think through Mark's words in this verse, we see this beautiful act performed by this woman. More than likely, this “alabaster box” filled with “precious spikenard” was the woman's dowry which she collected over her life span, and now she was “pouring” it upon the head of Jesus. Because this “ointment” was of great value, she demonstrated how “precious” Jesus was to her. People who give their lives to Jesus Christ as their “Savior and Lord” show their love to Him and how valuable He is. God wants people to have a loving personal relationship with people through His Son Jesus, and when they give up their own selfish “livelihood” to obtain that relationship, they align with God's plan for the “salvation” of mankind.
Next time we see Mark shares how some indignant people asked, “Why was this waste of the ointment made?”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
“Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the
marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the
Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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