But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. 8 She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. 9 And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”
We do not serve the Lord in order to get statues erected in our honor but we have to recognize the beauty of Jesus’ predictions here. The woman is not identified by Mark but we know from John that it is Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, soon after his miraculous resuscitation. Jesus first predicted the poor would always be with us. This is true because of our fallen world but we are called to love our neighbor. He predicted his upcoming death in mere days and this anointing is a nod to the Christ, which means, “anointed one”. Finally, the presence of this devotion is proof that Jesus knew this story of her would be in his Word. The Bible is true!
We can apply these verses to our lives today by acknowledging the poor around us and ministering to them, by worshiping Jesus Christ as the anointed King of kings, and by telling this story and others about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Wherever the gospel is proclaimed, may we be found proclaiming it. The events of this week are the most important in history. Let us celebrate that…
He has done a beautiful thing for us.
Pastor Brad Boyer
Cape Community Church