In Mark 14:3-9 the contrast between Mary and Judas Iscariot could not be clearer.
Mary (whose identity is determined by the parallel passage – John 12:1-8) showed her love, gratitude, and devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ by making an extravagant and beautiful offering to Him at a dinner party given in Jesus’ honor. “And while he (Jesus) was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and poured it over his head” (Mark 14:3).
Judas (as we also learn in John’s account) spoke first and led the rest of the disciples in deriding and scolding Mary. John 12:5 says, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii (a year’s wages for a common laborer) and given to the poor.” Judas’ motives were exposed by John, too – “He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put in it (John 12:6).“
As a preached a sermon last Sunday on Mark 14:1-11, I didn’t have time to include this quote from J.C. Ryle:
A cold heart makes a slow hand. If a man once understands the sinfulness of sin, and the mercy of Christ in dying for him, he will never think anything too good or too costly to give to Christ. He will rather feel, “what shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits to me” (Psalm 116:12). He will fear wasting time, talents, money, affections on the things of this world. He will not be afraid of lavishing them on his Savior. He will fear going into extremes about business, money, politics, or pleasure; but he will not be afraid of doing too much for Christ.”
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