10But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you bother the woman? For she has done a good deed to Me. 11For you always have the poor with you; but you do not always have Me. 12For when she poured this perfume on My body, she did it to prepare Me for burial. 13Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.”
In this familiar story, a woman poured expensive perfume on the feet of Jesus, incurring the disciples’ ire over what seemed like irresponsible wastefulness (Matt. 26:8). According to John 12:5, the value of the perfume was approximately a year’s salary (three hundred denarii, where one denarius was a typical day’s wage)—she must have been quite wealthy to have such a luxurious possession.
On one level, we could say there is no cost too great in honoring Christ. But Jesus’ response is perplexing. He seems to endorse lavish spending on Himself while ignoring the plight of the poor. Doesn’t this send a mixed message in light of what James, the half-brother of Jesus, wrote years later:
What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. (James 2:14–17)
No, a careful reading of Matthew’s Gospel account shows that Jesus is not endorsing the neglect of the poor, for He even says they will always be there—there will be plenty of time to attend to the needs of the poor. However, there are times when our priorities must recognize extraordinary circumstances. In this particular case, Jesus knew that He was about to die, a one-time event in the history of the world—the disciples wouldn’t understand this until later. The Savior was to become the vicarious replacement for us, to redeem us through His death on the cross. Preparation for His death took precedence. It did not replace caring for the poor but put first things first.
In John 12:4-6, we see that Judas Iscariot was the voice of objection. The contrast is stark: Judas was motived by greed, disguised by a concern for the poor, but the woman was motivated generosity, displayed by her “good deed.” Jesus gives a massive endorsement to this woman’s actions, saying the gospel message will include this story wherever it is preached. Obviously, not all gospel preaching includes this story, but her story is repeated wherever any of the gospel accounts go out and is read, for the story is in all four.
Does this story justify spending vast sums of money on creating lavish church edifices with marble, gold, and silver, costly priestly vestments, and expensive artwork? No, this does not speak to that question. This story simply is about a person who was preparing Jesus for His death. Did she know and believe what He had been telling His disciples earlier about His soon-coming death? Probably, for what else would have caused her to pour out the perfume rather than sell it and use it for the poor? She knew to some degree the significance of what she was doing. It would not be a stretch to believe that her generosity toward Jesus would be reflected in her generosity toward the poor. When we give sacrificially to God, we will naturally give liberally to the poor as well.
Our worship of the Lord ought to be characterized by a liberality of our hearts, as we give Him our time, our money, and our entire selves. Worship is directing it all to Him and for His glory.
Lord, I bow my knees before You, my wonderful Savior, for You are worthy of all I am and all I have.
God can move through you and work through you so give him your life.