The woman with the spikenard oil

Mark 14:3–9 (NKJV)

3 And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head.

4 But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, “Why was this fragrant oil wasted?

5 For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they criticized her sharply.

6 But Jesus said, “Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me.

7 For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always.

8 She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial.

9 Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”

The woman is Mary the sister of Martha, This is revealed to us in John 12:1,3

Those who were indignant were the desciples

What we learn from the action of the desciples

Was their criticism justified

First of all, The costly oil (spikenard) belongs to the woman. Doesn’t she have the right to do whatever she wishes with what she possess.

What is it to them if she wan’t to spend the oil on the body of her lord, Jesus Christ.

If it is a waste, she is the one that is going to be at loss not them.

What gives them the right to be angry about something that does not even belong to them.

We see we can sometimes be Nosy,

we can be self appointed judges about other peoples work for the lord.

I wonder how many of them apply the same scruitiny to their work as they did to this woman’s work.

We have got to learn to focus on ourselves, on our own work and not others.

The time spent scruitinizing other people’s work, could be a time spent being productive in our work for the Lord.

John 21:15-22:- Jesus ask’s Peter if he loves him and then follows to give him work

To feed his lambs

to feed his sheep

To tend his lamb

Finally Peter gets nosy and turns and looks at John and says to Jesus “But Lord, what about this man?”

Jesus responded and said “if I will that he remain till i come , what is that to you?” You follow me

A kind way of saying “mind your business and follow me”

Secondly

They were imbolden to criticize her in public because they thought based on their Judgement Jesus would surely be on their side.

Because they have heard him teach saying they should “sell all that they have and give to the poor”. Therefore, they thought, Jesus would be surely on their side.

“But Jesus said, “Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me.

However, Jesus turned and rebuked them and what they tought was a waste, was deem Good by Christ himslelf.

1 Corinthians 4:5 NKJV

5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.

Don’t Judge before the time, you might find yourself on the recieiving end of Jesus rebuke.

What we learn from the action fo the woman

Unlike the deciples, we learn from what she did not do in the face of the criticism

Firstly you need to know that when you do something for the lord. When you devote your self, expend yourself and your resources for the lord expect to be cricticised by people who do not understand what you are doing, or your love and commitment to christ.

Family members, relatives, people of the world that don’t understand your love and commitment to Christ, and his body

Remember that the body of Christ is the church

She did not stop what she was doing for the lord when she heard the criticism

You have to have a think skin, you have to be strong.

You can no let people who do not undertsand nor comprehend the love of Jesus from our devotion to Christ, from your sacrifice and commitment to his Kingdom.

For some, it does not take long to stop what they are doing at the small hint of criticism

2. She did not defend herself

She knew that they would not understand

She did not waste her time to explain or try to make them understand. She completely ignored them and just focused on Jesus .

She was not bothering no body, she was just focused on fullfilling her duty and her devotion to Christ.

She trusted that in time, Jesus understanding her heart would rise and defend her and speak in her behalf

“Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me.

What we learn from what Jesus said

Verse 6

But Jesus said, “Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me.

Jesus will defend those who serve him wholeheartedly.

He won’t sit idly by while people criticize what you are doing for the Lord, Therefore be encouraged.

Luke 7:37-50:- Jesus defends the woman, in Simon the pharisees house. He condemns him and justifies her action in his own house.

Verse 7

For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always.

Get your prioritise straight.

Jesus is more important than the poor

Jesus’s need is more important the the need of the poor

His need is more important than your needs

The Kingdom of God is more important than the Kingdom of the world

There are some people who give alot of money to charities but neglect the house of God. Get your priorities straight.

2. You only have a msall window of opportinity to do something for Jesus for his kingdom.

Once in a while the Lord will come to your life and give you opportunity to do something for him

if you don’t have your priorities straight you will miss these windows of opportunities.

Verse 8

8 She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial.

Are you doing what you can for the lord

Can you say i am doing what i can. I am giving what i can, I am spending what i can

If you are doing what you can for the Lord there is good news.

If you look at what the woman was doing logically, it did not make any sense.

Logically speaking she was wasting the oil, if it was at the time of his burial it would be perfect.

However, she was pouring oil on his body which he later would wash away when he baths himself

You see, what made her work for the Lord Good and acceptable in his sight was not:

The fact that it made sense

It was wise

It was perfect

But it was because she was just doing what she can.

As long as you are doing what you can, even though it might be misguided it is good and acceptable work before the lord

Verse 9

9 Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”

What she did to honour the lord out pure love expecting nothing in return. The lord honoured her work and made sure that wherever the spirit of this Gospel went her deed would be spoken in honour of her

What you are doing for the lord out of pure love and devotion to Christ, without expect anything in return. No praise, adoration from men. He will honour your work wherever his spirit goes.

Revelation 14:13 NKJV

13 Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.”

Even after you die, your work will speka for you because Christ will make sure it lives.