As Jesus was nearing the time of his death, he was having supper at the house of a man known as Simon the Leper. A woman came in and broke open a very expensive jar of perfume, with which she began to anoint Jesus.
His disciples openly rebuked her saying, "Why this waste? This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor" (Matt 26:8-9). Jesus, in turn, rebuked them,“Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial" (vv. 10-12)
This jar of perfume she broke open was not just something she picked up at a local shop on the way over. It likely represented her savings for the future or, if she were a prostitute, it might well have been what she had to prepare herself to practice her craft. In either case, she had broken open a jar that contained her future financial well-being and poured it out on the Messiah.
Her humble and selfless act so moved Jesus that he declared, "wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her" (v. 13). This was a big deal! It was big enough that it was ordained to be remembered forever.
Do you think, perhaps then, that there is a lesson in it for us? Could it be the template for what we are to be doing with our own "treasure in jars of clay..." (2 Cor 4:7)? Might it suggest that we offer up our best, pour out all we have in service to the King? Jus' Ask'n.
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