Pour it out

Scripture: 

6While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, 7a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.

8When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. 9“This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.”

10Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me.11The poor you will always have with you, a but you will not always have me.12When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial.13Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

Matthew 26:6-10

Devotional: 

This week, as we celebrate Holy Week, I’d like to bring our minds to where it’s believed Jesus was on Holy Wednesday. 

In Christianity, Holy Wednesday—sometimes called Spy Wednesday—is the Wednesday just before Easter Sunday. Traditionally, Holy Wednesday is associated with the moment when Jesus was anointed with costly perfume during a meal (Matthew 26:6–13). It is also known as “Spy Wednesday” because it is believed to be the day Judas made arrangements with religious leaders to betray Jesus (Matthew 26:14–16). 

The Bible itself does not specifically name or recognize Holy Wednesday or Spy Wednesday. Additionally, the events described in the Gospels are not always presented in strict chronological order, which was typical of writings from that era. Differences in timekeeping between Roman and Jewish cultures also influence how these events are sequenced.

Picture this: you’re enjoying dinner at a friend’s house, and a woman at the party decides to get down on her hands and knees to wash your friend’s feet. Everyone in the room stops because she poured out some super expensive perfume, worth tens of thousands of dollars, just to wash his feet. Everyone in the room would have been shocked, maybe even disgusted. 

This is a moment of profound cognitive dissonance. Not only is what this woman, Mary of Bethany, did extremely confusing, but the setting is unexpected as well. This all takes place in the home of a man referred to as “Simon the Leper.” Jesus, who was a rabbi and miracle worker and was believed to be the Messiah, the Holy One of Israel, shouldn’t even have been there, by all accounts. A leper would have been considered unclean, and yet, here he is. His presence makes the home of this unclean man Holy ground. It’s a profound moment that showcases Jesus’s love, holiness, and willingness to reach out to those in need. 

Now, let’s think about Mary. It’s believed that this bottle of perfume would have been worth around an entire year’s worth of income for her. She made an extravagant gift for Jesus. She brought Him the most precious thing she had. She didn’t hold back; instead, she put herself and her pride aside to honor Christ. 

Often, we neglect to bring anything to the feet of Jesus, much less what is most valuable to us. This week, as we look toward the sacrifice of Christ, who gave up his life for us, we need to ask ourselves, what can we bring to him?

God may be calling you to give to the poor, He might be asking you to serve someone in need, or maybe He’s asking you to give Him the most valuable thing you have, your time. I challenge you this week to sit at Jesus’s feet and give him your time, just as there was no better thing Mary could have done with her perfume, there is no better thing you can do with your time. 

Prayer:

Jesus, help me to understand what you’re calling me to give you this week, as I look forward to celebrating your sacrifice this Easter. Amen.