"She Did What She Could" Anoint the Lamb

Day 6 “She Did What She Could” Anoint the Lamb Passover to Resurrection Devotional

After Jesus’ grand entry into Jerusalem and the priestly inspection as the Lamb without spot or blemish, Jesus retired to the home of His closest friends, Mary, Martha, and their brother Lazarus. On that very same day, Jews around the nation were selecting their sacrificial lamb in obedience with Ex. 12:3-6. They were instructed by Yehovah to bring the selected lamb inside their homes for four days. Think about that. What was it like for the Hebrews to care for a perfect little lamb knowing they were to kill it on Nisan 14th (coincides with this Wednesday). The blood of that little innocent lamb was to be painted on the doorposts to protect them from their own deaths. They were to guard it, love, and nurture it.

Mary, Martha, and Lazarus also brought the Lamb into their house—the real Lamb. They understood that the era of animal sacrifices was over and no longer needed. A new era had begun and they were on the cutting edge.

Can we even imagine what a night that was with Jesus? I don’t believe anyone in the house slept. The intimacy, the worship, the remembering and the telling of what was to come would have ushered in the glory of all of heaven. And now Jesus says, “I no longer call you my servant but My intimate friends”. John 15:15 I want my friendship with Jesus to be considered intimate and close.

We are not privy to all that went on while Jesus spent His last days with His closest friends. But then suddenly, a game changer! Mary took a very expensive alabaster flask of spikenard and poured it over His head, anointed His feet and wiped them with her hair. Her extravagant, spontaneous act of love took them all by surprise and created a crisis amongst the disciples. Love can create a crisis!

Judas leads the charge against Mary using logic and natural wisdom. They rose in anger and criticized her sharply, “Why all this waste? We could have sold that oil for a year’s wages and given it to the poor!” This was perfect logic and wisdom. It was true. In fact, it was customary to give special alms to the poor on the eve of Passover and now she had wasted it. Total logic.

Waste is anything that goes beyond what is necessary. If something is worth $5 and you pay $20, you just wasted $10. If someone is receiving more than he is worth than that is waste. Yet, the disciples criticized her extravagance. “Criticism frequently tells more about the critic than it does about the person who is criticized”. Dr. McKenna. Ouch! Have I criticized the “Mary’s” in the body of Christ? Have you? Or are you and I a “Mary”? Anoint the Lamb.

Jesus calls her act of waste and her love beautiful. Mar 14:6 But Jesus said, "Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me. 8. She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial”. The word “good” in Greek is “kalos”. It means beautiful, genuine, and precious. In a way, Jesus is telling the disciples “You have not given what you could do so don’t criticize someone who has”. Criticizing each other, especially in this season, is dangerous. It means we are defending and protecting ourselves from our own fears which don’t line up with what we preach and teach. We are not realizing our full potential.

Can we give too much to Jesus? Can we serve Him too much or be too passionate? Will it look like a lack of wisdom and logic or a lack of faith? The power of the church in these last days will be born out of waste. Do all that you know to do. Anoint the Lamb.