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Mark 14:4-9: Fire extinguishers!

^“4 Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, ‘Why this waste of perfume? ⁵ It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.’ And they rebuked her harshly. ⁶ ‘Leave her alone,’ said Jesus. ‘Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. ⁷ The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. ⁸ She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial.⁹ Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.’ ” NIV UK

You know the definition of a fanatic? Someone who loves Jesus more than I do!

I remember a girl joining a church. She was quite young; just a student at the time. But her love for the Lord was so evident, and her expression of praise so extravagant, that at times you almost couldn’t take your eyes off her. In worship services she was a kind of contemporary equivalent of Mary anointing Jesus, weeping, and wiping His feet with her hair. She was different to most people in church. I think, sadly, she attracted some criticism.

Some people are fire lighters while others are fire extinguishers. Mary had her critics. But Jesus saw her heart. He had a different viewpoint (6) to those who were spraying foam all over her worship (4,5). They criticised; He commended. He gladly received what she sincerely offered.

‘When we pour out our gifts, skills, and possessions for Jesus, people will also say that we are wasting our lives. What we do for Jesus the world considers wasted. But, in fact, nothing is ever wasted on Jesus. Let us also learn from this story never to criticise the expressions and works of love done by others.’ Tom Hale: ‘Applied New Testament Commentary’, p.272.

Mark 14:3: Reclining at the table.

^“3 While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.” NIV UK

This is a wonderful picture, Jesus ‘’reclining at the table’’. It speaks of a number of things. Here are three:

• Intimacy: In the East, in those times, the meal table was a place of close friendship. It expressed, and strengthened, bonds between people. Those at the meal would lie on couches around the table, and would be in fairly close contact with one another. Jesus wants to be known;
• Availability: Jesus put Himself in a position where He was contactable by ordinary people. He was not protected by bodyguards; not shielded in the ways celebrities are. Mary could get to Him to express her love in the way she did. Jesus is accessible;
• Vulnerability: Although Jesus ‘’did not come to be served, but to serve’’ (10:45), He was nevertheless willing to receive the service of others. He did not deny those who wanted to give to Him, the privilege of doing so. ‘’It is more blessed to give than to receive’’ (Acts 20:35). Jesus Himself said this. But it often feels like it takes more grace to receive than it does to give. However, let us learn from the Lord. Jesus is willing to be served.

Mark 14:3: Brokenness.

^“3 While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.”

As long as the perfume was kept in the jar, it was of benefit to no-one else. But once it was broken and poured out ‘’…the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume’’ (John 12:3).  We are like ‘’jars of clay’’ (2 Corinthians 4:7). In fact, that is what we are. It is only when we are broken and poured out that the world can benefit from the contents God has put within us. It is His intention that people should be able to ‘smell’ Jesus on us (2 Corinthians 2:14-16). The fragrance gets released when the life is poured out.

God has given each Christian spiritual gifts and natural talents. He has given us possessions. He has given us a life. ‘If we keep these for ourselves, they do not benefit anyone. In the end, they do not even benefit us, because we cannot take them with us when we die. Only when we pour out all our gifts, skills, and possessions at Jesus’ feet can He take them and use them for God’s glory and for the benefit of others.’ Tom Hale: ‘The Applied New Testament Commentary’, p.272.  This is true. Who would seriously question it in principle? But the difficulty is in the doing. It hurts to be broken and it costs to be poured out.

PRAYER: Lord, I pray that everything you have put into me will be poured out for the blessing of others and the glory of your Name.

Mark 14:1-3: Perfume.

“Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. ² ‘But not during the festival,’ they said, ‘or the people may riot.’ ³ While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.” NIV

If this is the same anointing described in John 12:1-8, it was Mary who did this. The perfume was ‘’very expensive’’. It may have been kept in the family from generation to generation, the way people keep gold. It probably represented financial security for them. It may have represented all their savings According to (5) it was worth ‘’more than a year’s wages’’. But Mary ‘’broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.’’ According to John 12:3. She also poured it on His feet and wiped His feet with her hair.

It is true that ‘Christianity which costs nothing accomplishes nothing.’ There is sacrifice lying at the heart of discipleship; an abandonment; an extravagance of worship. We pour out all that we have and are on Jesus. He may well still let us hold it on His behalf, but it is His, and is to be used for His glory. It takes faith to live like this. We give what we may feel we cannot afford, only to discover that god is no man’s debtor.

Mark 14: 1,2;10, 11: The great divide.

14 Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. 2 ‘But not during the festival,’ they said, ‘or the people may riot.’

10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief  to betray Jesus to them. 11 They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.NIV

‘Mary’s act of worship brought joy to the heart of Jesus and malice to the heart of Judas…’ Warren W. Wiersbe: ‘With the Word’, p.684.

What a contrast we find here between those who hated Jesus and wanted Him out of the way (1,2; 10,11), and one who loved Him dearly. We are going to spend a few days savouring the aroma of Mary’s ‘worship’. We will linger in this perfumed room. But note that this dividing line runs through the human race. On one side are those who are for Jesus, and on the other side those who are against. On which side of the line are you?

During Passover/Unleavened Bread, Jerusalem’s normal population of 50,000 could swell to 250,000, with pilgrims arriving from all over. The religious authorities knew there would be quite a few of Jesus’ supporters in that number, and they didn’t want a riot. Then the Romans would move in a heavy handed way and everyone (themselves included!!) would suffer the consequences. So they thought it best to bide their time.

On the day following Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread began (Exodus 12:15-20; Deuteronomy 16:1-8). Tom Hale says that sometimes Passover was called the Feast of Unleavened Bread (12), although it was, in fact, a separate day. At Passover, the Jews celebrated the deliverance of the people from slavery in Egypt, through shed blood. Through the hostility of Jesus’ enemies, all that the Passover stood for was about to come to complete fulfilment. They meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.

Mark 13:28-31: Enduring words.

^“28 ‘Now learn this lesson from the fig-tree: as soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. ²⁹ Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door. ³⁰ Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.³¹ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. ” NIV UK

Jesus gave the disciples signs to look out for before the destruction of Jerusalem. They were like the new leaves on a fig tree that indicate the arrival of Summer. Jesus knew that His ‘’generation’’ of Jews would not die out before these things happened. The words of Jesus are utterly true and trustworthy. The very universe will disappear (certainly in its present form) but the words of the Lord will abide. They are powerful words; indestructible words. In fact, the entire universe is upheld by Christ’s ‘’powerful word’’ (Hebrews 1:4).

This surely means, then, that disciples of Jesus should immerse themselves in the gospels.

‘The content of the Gospels should be explained and brought to life in such a way that the Gospels become a permanent presence and possession of the mind of the disciple.’ Dallas Willard: ‘The Divine Conspiracy’, p.366.

PRAYER: Help me, dear Lord, to live deeply in your Word, and may it continually change my life.

Mark 13: 24-27: ‘You can’t miss it.’

“‘But in those days, following that distress,                                                                                 ‘“the sun will be darkened,                                                                                                              and the moon will not give its light;

²⁶ ‘At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. ²⁷ And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.” NIV UK

It’s a phrase often used by people giving directions: ‘You can’t miss it.’ What you often find is that you can! But when Jesus returns to the world (26; see Daniel 7:13) it will be unmissable. We need to remind ourselves that life will not go on forever as it is today. Jesus will come back.

At the moment, so much seems to be unravelling in our nation and across the world. It’s not surprising really. In our own culture, we have drifted far from God and His standards. It’s understandable if people ask, ‘What is the world coming to?’ But here’s a better question from a Christian perspective: ‘Who is coming to the world?’ The answer is Jesus. Are you ready to meet Him?

‘People get ready, there’s a train a comin’; you don’t need a ticket, you just get on board.’ This old spiritual song emphasises the freeness of salvation in Christ. It’s a gift to be received.

Now the way today’s section is placed, it looks like the second coming of Christ will occur right after the fall of Jerusalem. That manifestly did not happen. So did Jesus get it wrong? Over 1900 years have gone by since the Roman invasion of Jerusalem, and Jesus has not yet appeared. But let me urge you to consider the bigger picture. In God’s eyes a span of 1900 years is just like like on the way to a couple of days (2 Peter 3:8). Remember too that Jesus clearly stated that He did not know when the end of the world would happen (32).

(By the way, the references in verses 24,25 are drawn from Isaiah 13:10 and 34:4. See also Luke 21: 25, 26)

Mark 13:14-23: Emergency Exit.

“‘When you see “the abomination that causes desolation”^[a] standing where it^[b]does not belong – let the reader understand – then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. ¹⁵ Let no one on the housetop go down or enter the house to take anything out. ¹⁶ Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. ¹⁷ How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! ¹⁸ Pray that this will not take place in winter, ¹⁹ because those will be days of distress unequalled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now – and never to be equalled again. ²⁰ ‘If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them. ²¹ At that time if anyone says to you, “Look, here is the Messiah!” or, “Look, there he is!” do not believe it. ²² For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. ²³ So be on your guard; I have told you everything in advance.” NIV UK

Jesus spoke in advance about what was to happen in AD 70 (23). In a way He was pointing out the emergency exits.

Sometimes God calls us to stand and face danger. But at other times He tells us to flee. In each circumstance Christians must seek God’s will. It is all right to flee from danger, but not from duty.’ Tom Hale. ‘Applied New Testament Commentary’, p.268.

Most of the Christians in Jerusalem did make for the emergency doors. They fled in AD68, two years before the Roman invasion. But others ran just before the Romans arrived. Some of these almost starved in the countryside, because the Roman soldiers destroyed crops and fields and took all available food for themselves.

The slaughter which took place in the city was fully described by the historian, Josephus. The Romans committed the most terrible atrocities. Those Jews who escaped the sword died from famine and pestilence, or were made slaves (Luke 21:24). Over a million Jews were killed. Not a single Jew remained alive in the city. This was God’s judgment on an unbelieving Jewish nation that had rejected the Messiah.

But, remember: God ‘’…is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance’’ (2 Peter 3:9b). He doesn’t want to judge; He wants to save. So, in the gospel, He keeps clearly pointing to the Emergency Exit that is the Lord Jesus Christ, who bore our punishment on the Cross, that we might be saved through faith in Him. But it’s not enough to know where the Emergency Exit is located. You have to take it!