A Woman with a Jar

People often respond to extravagance in one of two ways.

Some people think of it as a wasteful indulgence. Others see it as lavish generosity. Today on Truth for Life, we'll hear about a dramatic act of worship that brought both admiration and astonishment. Alistair Begg is teaching from the first 11 verses in Mark, chapter 14. Well, we're going to look finally at this encounter between Jesus and this particular lady. So first of all, then, a woman came.

That's how it's introduced. While he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the Leopard, he was there having a meal. A woman came. Now, if your Bible is open there, you will notice that chapter 13 is essentially the Olivet Discourse. But it's quite interesting that that particular discourse in chapter 13 is framed on either side by the introduction of two women. At the end of chapter 12, remember the widow's offering that Jesus has observed, and to which he has drawn his disciples' attention. So in verse 43, he says to them, Truly, truly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box.

Why? Because he was measuring by sacrifice, not by amount. He was measuring by proportion. So this lady had actually done something quite dramatic. And Jesus' disciples were very slow to grasp the values of the kingdom. And you will notice, actually, that if your Bible is open, that it goes from Jesus pointing to this lady and saying, Let me show you what it really means to be committed to the kingdom and to be involved in sacrifice. And it says, And as they came out of the temple, one of his disciples said, Look, teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings. He said, Were you listening to me? Or what? But it's just like the Sunday morning service, isn't it?

The pastor preaches his heart out and somebody comes out and says, Do you want to go to Denny's? Or shall we go to such and such? Well, did you hear what the man said? Yeah, but we're finished with what the man said. Yes, there was something about a lady, she put in her money, but we'd rather talk about the architecture than face the challenge of Jesus' words. We'd rather talk about just about anything other than face the challenge that Jesus brings. And so here we are on the far side of it. And the very next thing we're introduced to is another lady engaged in sacrifice.

And Mark tells us in a fairly straightforward way what she's done. A woman came with an alabaster flask. The alabaster itself, the container would have been expensive, and the content of it was obviously very, very costly. In other words, it wasn't the kind of thing that a lady would have in her purse. No, it was the cost of the material that brought about the extreme response of disapproval on the part of some. Perhaps a year's wages would have been involved in the purchase.

No, the material packed a bunch. It had enough to fill the house with fragrance. But you see, the monetary value of it was probably the smallest part of the cost. Because this kind of alabaster flask would have been in a home, could have been in a home even for a generation or two, kept in the home for one of two reasons. Either to be used as a dowry on the occasion of marriage, or to be used to anoint the individual's body in preparation for their burial. Now, when you put it in those terms, and you say, here comes a lady, and she carries with her that which would have been for her an expression of promise and of extravagance in marriage, or she brings with her that which would be used for her in the prospect of her death, then what do we discover? Well, we discover that Mark is describing a lady who is essentially pouring away her future on the head of Jesus Christ.

She's saying, whatever hopes, dreams, plans, ambitions, convictions I had, I am bringing them here, and at the risk of being disregarded, being disapproved, of not being socially acceptable, I am going to pour this out on the Lord Jesus Christ. She chooses not to pour out a little, just squeeze the top off, squeeze a wee bit out, but rather she chooses instead to break the flask. A gesture, if you like, of complete abandonment. Because after the flask was broken, it had served its purpose. It wasn't going to be used for anything again.

No, the brokenness is actually significant. And even if the brokenness of the flask could be regarded as an impulsive gesture in the heat of the moment, the fact that she brought it indicates that it was a premeditated act, that she had already determined that this was something that she was going to do. She may have actually expressed it in a way that even took her by surprise, but nevertheless, somewhere in the privacy of her own home, in the hidden place of her own heart and of her own mind, she had decided, this is what I'm going to do. And so she did. And the impact was felt by all.

She poured it over his head. Now again, in our 21st century context, this doesn't necessarily appeal to us, does it? We have to contextualize it in some way. If someone came to your house and started pouring stuff, you would have reason to be concerned.

It would usually be a bucket of cold water. In any case, it wouldn't be something like this, but in the context of the day, it's perfectly clear. The Bible has a lot to say about oil and the pouring out of oil. I actually wonder when this event took place, if Jesus did not sit there as the lady acted in this way, I wonder, did they say, you prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies, you anoint my head with oil, my cup runneth over, surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life? Because remember, the way in which the passage opens, the chief priests and the scribes are looking for a way to kill him. The way the passage closes, Judas Iscariot immediately goes out and asks how much cash he can get for himself by betraying his master. And here, in the context of the darkness on either side, is the radiant light of this self-forgetfulness on the part of an unnamed woman.

It's a wonderful picture. Jesus knew his Bible, and therefore he would have received this ministry in light of what he knew. Well, we can leave her action in the awareness of the fact that it was unique in its thoughtfulness, it was generous in its bestowal, and it was, as we will see, timely in its provision. First of all, then, a woman came. Secondly, verse 4, they scolded her. There were some who said to themselves indignantly. Now, John actually tells us in his rendition of this that it was Judas Iscariot who led the charge in this respect, that he was the one who gave — who mouthed the response.

But in much the same way as Peter's denial, where Peter is the one who makes the denial, but we're also told that all of the disciples said the same thing as Peter. And so when you take John and you apply it in relationship to Mark, you realize that although Judas may have been the mouthpiece, he clearly wasn't alone, and the sort of overwhelming reaction of those who were the avowed, devoted followers of Jesus was not to actually bow down, humbled by what had taken place, but was actually to scold the woman for what she had done. So Mark tells us that they grumbled and they growled at the woman.

The word in Greek, actually, is closer to snorting. They snorted at her as an expression of anger and displeasure. She has, in an instant, become the object of angry glances.

Why is this? Well, they regarded her action as extravagant. They regarded it as a misuse of resources. Why was the ointment wasted like that? And then, of course, they try and take the high ground, for this ointment could have been sold for more than 300 denarii. That's a tremendous amount of money, and given to the poor. Well, how are we going to respond to that?

That's a tough one, isn't it? Since we play that card. But no, their express concern for the poor is a thin disguise for their cold hearts and for their tight fists. This is an attempt on their part to justify their indignation. You see, the disciples make it clear again and again and again, all the way along, that they fail to understand the values of the kingdom of God. They don't understand the values of the kingdom of God. That's why Jesus has said to them in the upper room discourse, it is important for you that I go away. I know you don't like the idea of me going away, but it is very important that I go away, because when I go away, the Father will send to you another counselor and comforter, and he will bring you into an understanding of all the things that I have told you.

Things that, frankly, you haven't got. It's a remarkable thing, isn't it? How ineffective Jesus is as a teacher for so long with the people who are with him every single day. At the end of the course, they all deserted him, and they fled. They weren't all there standing saying, hey, it's Good Friday. This is fantastic. It's going to be Easter Sunday.

No, they were all gone. Why? Because they didn't get it. And so a lady comes along here and exposes them for what they are, and they realize, once again, it's not clear to them. In fact, they were probably jealous of the fact that the lady had acted in this way. J. C. Ryle of an earlier era, he says, the spirit of these narrow-minded fault-finders is unhappily only too common. Their followers and successors are to be found in every part of Christ's visible church.

There is never wanting a generation of people who decry what they call extremes in religion and are incessantly recommending what they term moderation in the service of Christ. If a man devotes his time, money, and affections to the pursuit of worldly things, they do not blame him. If he gives himself up to the service of money, pleasure, or politics, they find no fault. But if the same man devotes himself and all that he has to Christ, they can scarcely find words to express their sense of his folly. He is beside himself, they say. He is out of his mind. He is an enthusiast.

He is a fanatic. Now, think about that in our day. Philanthropy is the big deal. Everyone says, whoa, let's fall down before the philanthropists. You can go down that road any day you want and make sure that the building that you build with all your money is green. That way you'll get a double whammy.

But if you let it be known that you are prepared to sacrifice your life, your future, your career in the cause of the kingdom of Jesus Christ, the people say to you, you've got to be absolutely nuts. What are you talking about? That was Ryle. And here we are. We haven't moved on very far. Now, you see the broken flask here and the fragrant scent testified against their calculated pragmatism. If this lady had shown up at the house and called a little meeting in the anteroom, said now, I know a number of you are here with Jesus and I was looking forward to coming to Jesus.

I thought we would just go in here and I'd let you know what I'm planning to do tonight. If she had done that, we would have no record of her extravagant devotion because they would have talked her out of it. You don't have to do that. That's rather extreme, isn't it? I mean, surely you've got other kind of massage oil or perfume or something else. That would be good enough for Jesus. I mean, he doesn't really want it.

He doesn't want the whole kit and caboodle. I mean, you don't have to sacrifice your marriage or your burial and the strength of it. Now, you see, this lady was scolded on account of the fact that her gratitude to Jesus caused her to give up her treasured possession. Her gratitude to Jesus caused her to give up her treasured possession. You see, Judas thought that following Jesus was about what he was going to get.

So he went out and said to them, what will you give me? She understood that following Jesus was about what she was able to give. That's why, you see, missionary biographies have always had the impact that they've had. Sadly, many of them have fallen into the catalogue lists of out-of-print tales of another era.

And, you know, one of the things that might be done is the unearthing of many of these old stories and good books, so that the heroes of the past might become contemporary for a new generation. So that, for example, C. T. Studd, who gave up a fortune that was his by inheritance, and went off to Africa with the story of the good news. His father had been converted as a result of the visit of Moody and Sankey. His father was phenomenally wealthy, and Studd went to Cambridge. He played cricket for England.

It was far better than the Great Gatsby. That's where he lived. That was his whole experience. And he actually turned his back on all of that in order to go to Africa, but he gave away his fortune and kept some back for his wife.

His wife found out about it. She was really angry because he had given her a little poem she was supposed to say in the morning with her devotion. She was supposed to say, Dear Lord Jesus, you are to me dearer than Charlie ever could be. He wanted her to understand that so that when he died, she would know that her best friend was Jesus. And she said, Why do you keep all that money back for me? He said, Well, I wanted you to be okay.

She said, Do you think that Jesus can only look after you and he can't look after me? Give my part away as well. And so they gave it to General Booth of the Salvation Army. What was the kingdom logic? Here it goes. This is C.T.

Studd. If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice that I could ever make for him could ever be too great. That's the logic of the kingdom. We got to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.

Well, let's just go to our final point. The response of people was to scold her. Verse 8, Jesus says, She has done what she could. It's a wonderful phrase, isn't it? Jesus said, Why don't you just leave her alone?

Why are you troubling her? She's done a beautiful thing. You will always have the poor with you. What is Jesus doing here? Well, he's just making it clear what the law had taught. And the law had taught that they will never cease to be poor in the land. The law had made provision for the poor in the land. This is a very example that you have that in the story of Ruth, don't you? Where Naomi allows Ruth to go out and to gather up on the fringes of the field, as it turns out, in the field of Boaz in that fantastic story.

What is happening there? That is due to the provision of the law. The law said that the owner of the land was not to go to the entire perimeter of the land when he harvested his crop, but was to leave borders in the perimeter so that poor people could by their endeavors become the beneficiaries of their largesse. Jesus is actually quoting the law in response here. When he says the poor you will always have, he's not in any sense disregarding the poor. What he's pointing out is that the poor represent an ongoing opportunity and an ongoing obligation. But what happens here in relationship to me, he says, is a one-time opportunity because you will not always have me. You go down to verse 41 or so in the passage, verse 42, rise, let us be going. My betrayer is at hand. And they all left him and fled.

You're not always going to have me. So why are you scolding her? She's done something really beautiful. The word in Greek is kalos. Now, there are two words in Greek largely for good.

One is agathos, which means intrinsically good, and kalos means, if you like, beautifully good. That's the word he uses. What she's done is generous, self-forgetful, it's wonderful. She's anointed my body beforehand for burial. That's the real significance. It is a significance that is directly related to his death. If you think about this, the law demanded no Jew would have been buried without the preparatory rights of anointing. Jesus was going to be captured in the garden, taken away, beaten, crucified, in the providence of God, here, in an unusual place, in the house of Simon the Lemper.

The anointing and preparation for his burial takes place. Now, the commentators all say, almost without exception, that she was doing what she was doing, but she didn't really know what she was doing, and Jesus explains the real significance of what she was doing. And that may well be right, and that may well be right, but it also may well be right that she did know what she was doing. Call it female intuition.

Call it whatever you want to call it. That this lady saw what others missed. That this lady who proceeded to the house on this particular evening did so in the awareness of the unfolding drama of redemption.

Because think about it. How do you explain the one thief on the other side of him saying, Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom, and the other one still cussing him out? What happened there? Who opened the eyes of the one? So who would open the eyes of a lady to proceed in the darkness of the night to shine the light of her self-sacrificial love? Very, very, I say to you, this poor widow has now done something that will serve as a perpetual memorial of the true response to the one who became poor in order that we might become rich. Truly, I say to you, whatever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her. The self-contained, sensible, scolding onlookers fade into obscurity, while the rash extravagance of this humble woman is known wherever the gospel is proclaimed. Long after human eloquence and human brilliance are forgotten, when the deeds and titles of emperors and kings and presidents are completely buried, this beautiful, significant, and timely act will be remembered, because the pathway to lasting honor is to honor Christ.

The pathway to lasting honor is to honor Christ. She gave Him all she had. A woman came, devoted, unique in its thoughtfulness, costly in its bestowal, timely in its provision, challenging in its impact, lasting in its memory.

And they scolded her. And Jesus said, she has done what she could. At the end of the day, it's not what you say about yourself that matters. It's not even what others say about you that matters. At the end of the day, it's only what God says about you that matters. So then may He say, well done, good and faithful servant.

It is not possible for us to be too extravagant when it comes to honoring Christ. You're listening to Truth for Life with Alistair Begg in the final message in a series titled An Extraordinary Encounter. And if you enjoyed these stories, if you'd like to learn more about how people with different backgrounds and needs encountered Jesus in the Gospels, then you'll want to request Nancy Guthrie's book titled Saints and Scoundrels in the Story of Jesus. It's yours by request when you make a donation online at truthforlife.org slash donate, or when you call us at 888-588-7884. You may have heard me talk on this program about becoming a truth partner. A truth partner is a listener who supports Truth for Life each month prayerfully and financially. I mention it because truth partners are an essential part of this listener funded ministry. Without their faithful giving, this program would not be heard. So if you were inspired by today's message about the generosity of the woman with the alabaster jar, maybe today is the day you'll become a truth partner.

You can do it by calling us at 888-588-7884 or go online to truthforlife.org slash truth partner. I'm Bob Lapine. Do you believe the Bible has absolute authority? Join us tomorrow to find out why your answer to this question will significantly impact every aspect of your life. The Bible teaching of Alistair Begg is furnished by Truth for Life, where the Learning is for Living.