A resolute woman willing to make sacrifices Mark 14:3-9

Personal preparation

Main message

Giving Jesus one's best - even when it involves a sacrifice!

Structure

1. Abundant love (v. 3)

2. The others criticise the woman (v. 5)

3. Jesus defends and acknowledges the woman's deed (v. 6-9)

Observation, interpretation

3 The woman honours Jesus. She is willing to do something "extravagent" because of love; others are unable to understand why she is doing this. She does not count the expenses of her gift; she does not offer her gift from selfish motives. Jesus accepts the anointing without argument.

4-5 The critics calculate what could have been done with this ex­pensive gift, but they do not think of what they themselves could have done.

Their harsh reaction to the woman shows that they are embarrassed by the respect the woman shows Jesus because they themselves did not offer this respect to Jesus.

They speak in the subjunctive: it could have been sold..., but they themselves remain passive and do not do anything at all.

Whoever honours God will not always meet with approval, but will be honoured by God Himself in return.

6 Jesus supports the woman by a) giving an order, b) asking a probing question and c) evaluating her deed positively.

Knowing who approves of our deeds and life is important. Other people might despise our deeds and life, but the deciding factor is whether or not God approves of our deeds and life.

The best is our life, time, money...

7 We can always do good. Doing good is not limited to a particular time or place.

You can help. Jesus changes the critics' suspicious "it could" to an encouraging "you can". He wants to help them leave their theoretical thinking and take concrete steps; to replace the subjunctive by the indicative and theory by action.

8 Jesus honours the giving of everything. The entirety of her love and of her devotion is what counts (She did what she could).

Jesus attaches a great purpose to the woman's deed. The woman herself did not even know of this purpose. The woman is also surprised.

9 Even if Jesus' death is hinted at in v. 8, His victory also shines through. The gospel will be preached in the whole world. Jesus cannot simply be buried and forgotten.

Comments on the text

Bethany. A small village, 3 km away from Jerusalem. Jesus often went there.

Simon. A common name in those days. Who Simon really is remains unclear; we also do not know if Jesus healed him.

Since the people were lying by the table, we can assume that they were having a banquet. During a normal supper, the Jews sat up at the table. During a banquet, however, people would lie on pillows on their left side; with their right hand they took the food which was cut up in small portions.

alabaster jar. A jar out of delicate, transparent plaster (semi­precious stone).

The fragrant oil was meant for luxury. The amount that the woman poured on Jesus' head was equal to a field worker's annual income.

The anointing of the head was considered a sign of special respect to guests. Usually only a few drops of oil were used.

5 Especially during a feast, according to pious tradition and duty, the poor were commemorated.

6 Beautiful thing. Jesus uses a Jewish term ( literally: good work ) for an ethically good deed.

8 The Jews did not anoint someone still living for one's upcoming death. Therefore, the woman could not have been thinking of Jesus' death. But Jesus attached this purpose to her deed. An anointing meant paying one's last respects to a dead person; this can be compared to today's laying of a wreath on a grave.

In this study, it is not luxury for the rich and alms for the poor that are opposing each other. Instead we see an act of real love.

Group discussion

Introduction

Option: Jesus does not live His life for Himself. His works had always been characterised by deep love of His Father and all people. He laid down His life out of love for this world and did not insist on His privileges. He did more good than was requested for He loved us. Today we read about a woman whose love and willingness to sacrifice can be an example to us.

Questions

1. What do the woman's action and the quality of her gift reveal about her attitude? What is her purpose in doing this?

2. The whole house smells of the oil. Was this the reason for the indignation of some of the other people? How do they try to cope with the anointing and why are they so concerned with it?

3. Jesus takes a stand. What is important to Him? (In the beginning He does not speak about the financial matter. First, He defends the woman! The person is more important to Him than the case. Only afterwards does He answer the question of alms.)

4. Jesus comes back to the argument of helping the poor (v. 7) but deals with it in a new way. How does he want to change the critics' thinking? (He wants to direct their thoughts away from money towards love.) Do we take on obligations even when we cannot really fulfil them wholeheartedly?

5. In what inner condition was the woman able to leave the room?

Application

1. How can we honour Jesus today?

2. What is the most costly thing that we can give to Jesus?

3. Do I know the sacrificial abundant love of God? How can I find this love?

4. It is easy to judge how other people serve God and their neighbours. How does God want to challenge us with this text today? What good can we do to the poor people in our time? How could we start doing it?

Closing remarks

The woman showed that she loved Jesus with all her heart and with all her soul and with all her strength (cf. Deuteronomy 6,5). With her behaviour and love, she challenges both her contemporaries and us today.