No wonder Judas was angry. What Mary just did cost over $30k, and none of that money can be recovered. And that money could have fed people who were hungry for quite a while. But not now. Thanks, Mary.
“Essence of Nard” doesn’t sound very attractive, but this bottle cost over $30,000 and she dumped the whole thing on him.
Nard is made from the root of a flowering plant that grows in the vicinity of the base of the Himalayas. It was highly valued in Jesus’ time, sought after by kings, even. I find myself wondering how Mary acquired a bottle of it. From what I have read it wasn’t easy to come by. I always thought of Martha and Mary as relatively poor people…but the presence of a whole bottle of Nard in their home suggests to me that they had resources. That one bottle would be enough to scent 10,000 bottles of Old Spice perfume. The smell of it would be overpowering. We celebrated Easter two days ago, and I can still smell the scent of lilies and hyacinths in the Sanctuary. The lingering scent of this perfume would follow Jesus everywhere He went for days. If He bathed in a small pond or bathing hole, it would scent the entire thing. Consider for a moment that Judas was correct in what he said. (I know that sounds radical…give me a second).
Judas wasn’t lying when he said the money could be used to help the poor, but he wasn’t being completely truthful, either. Judas was greedy, and he was a thief. Judas wanted the money for himself, or at the very least, under his control.
Money is deceptively powerful, and it amplifies our beliefs and values. Money doesn’t corrupt us, it simply makes it more noticeable. It’s the LOVE of money that is the root of evil. You don’t have to have money to love it. In fact, if you love money it might be better that you don’t have any. Judas loved money, I imagine that he volunteered to be in charge of the checkbook. It probably made him feel good to be the one who held the coins, and paid the bills. Over time, he would begin to think of the money as his to protect, and keep safe. It’s a small step from wanting to be a good steward to unhealthy issues of control and only one step further to taking it for yourself. I imagine that Judas put a few coins in his own purse from time to time thinking “the money is to help people who are in need, and right now I am in need. If I asked, I’m sure no one would care…they would probably agree with me”.
How many times have we heard about managers who have taken money and resources from their employer fully intent on “borrowing it for a week or two and then paying it back”? The love of money had Judas twisted up like a bread tie when he saw that perfume being dumped out. Could he still smell it a week later when he betrayed Jesus? I wonder.
I guess the lesson for us could be this: Be careful how attached to things you become. They could very easily lead you astray. and a second lesson: there isn’t any such thing as being too extravagant in your worship. The best that you can do isn’t nearly enough…Jesus deserves more than you and I, and the entire globe could ever produce. No matter the amount, it isn’t “too much” to give to Jesus. At the same time, Matthew was commended for giving a large chunk of his money to the poor, and reimbursing anyone he had cheated double. So giving to the poor as if you are giving to Jesus is also commendable, and could be seen as an act of worship. Bringing into the Lord’s house a tenth of everything we earn is biblical, and it serves to remind us that what we earn was provided by God, not by us. If we struggle to give a tenth, it is the sign of an even greater problem that lies beneath the surface.
I wonder what percentage of Mary’s life earnings were in that jar?
Desiring to serve extravagantly,
PR