Right after Jesus has been talking about what people do and don’t do for him (in Matthew 25:31-46) we have two contrasting responses to Jesus that demonstrate his point. First, the leaders of the people are plotting to kill Jesus. Then we have a remarkable account of a woman who pours perfume over Jesus’ feet. This is a remarkable act of devotion because that perfume was precious in more than a financial sense. In those times most people smelled terrible. They didn’t have deodorant like we do. If you wanted to stand out and feel beautiful then perfume was the way to do that. The perfume, for that woman, was something that gave her identity and made her feel beautiful. But instead of using that for herself, so that people would notice her, she pours it on Jesus. As a result he is the one wearing the attention-grabbing aroma. This is why Jesus makes such a big deal out of her gesture, because it typifies the essence of true worship. She was happy to recede into the smelly rabble of ordinary people so that Jesus would stand out. We expend so much effort in life trying to stand out from the crowd. Our efforts to make people notice and admire us amount to a kind of self-worship. Living a life of worship means that we live to make Jesus known. If people admire and envy you it won’t make their lives any better; it might even make them worse. But if they come to notice and worship Jesus they will be saved. Which outcome are you living for?
Ask God to use you to draw people’s attention to Jesus.
Read Matthew 26:1-16 and Mark 14:3-9
