Mt.26.13 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this
woman has done, be told for a memorial of her.
What this woman did for Jesus: her understanding of His coming
death and burial; her loving sacrifice of a very precious, and possibly, her most costly possession; her faith in His word, that, if she believed, she would see the glory of God:
is to be told wherever the gospel is preached throughout the whole world for a memorial of her.
Why has the Lord Jesus wanted this story, of what this woman has
done, to be told all over the world, wheresoever the Gospel is preached, so that people will remember her?
Let us consider another story of Jesus talking to His disciples:
Mark
9:31 For He taught His disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill Him; and after that He is killed, He shall rise the third day.
32 But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask Him. 33 And He came to Capernaum: and being in the house asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?
34 But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest.
Luke 9:44 Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall
be delivered into the hands of men. 45 But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying. 46 Then
there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest.
Luke 18:31 Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets
concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. 32 For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: 33 And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day
he shall rise again. 34 And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.
It may seem strange to us that the very disciples of the Lord Jesus did not understand when He told them of His coming suffering, and death, and resurrection.
But, the woman did understand!
Jesus said, in Matthew 26:10b She has wrought a good work upon me;
and in Matthew 26:12
For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial.
Mark 14:8 She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body
to the burying.
John 12:7 Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this.
Who is this woman?
John 11;2 (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)
How did Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha, understand, when His disciples did not?
His disciples were too
preoccupied with themselves; too concerned about who would be the greatest; but Mary had chosen that one thing that is needful, to sit at Jesus' feet and hear His Word.
Luke 10:38 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat
at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. 40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that
she help me. 41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: 42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which
shall not be taken away from her.
Martha, like the disciples who did not understand, had been too concerned with her preoccupations; but Mary
had chosen that good part, the one thing that is needful; to sit at Jesus' feet and hear His word.
This is why this, that this woman has done, be told, so that
people will remember her.
We must all deny ourselves, die to our worldly lives and interests, and choose, as Mary did, to be still, in the presence of the ever-present
Lord Himself, so that we may hear His word with our spiritual ears.
As the Lord Jesus said, on many occasions, If you have ears to hear, hear this.
He was referring to our spiritual ears.
To hear with our spiritual ears, we must choose that good part; for it is the one thing that is needful; and it is when we have chosen to deny ourself, and all of our worldly
interests and distractions, and sit in His presence, with a still mind, that we may hear His Word with our spiritual ears, and it will not be taken away from us. Hallelujah!
This is why this story, of that which this woman has done, must be told for a memorial of her; so that all will know how we are to hear the Word of God, with understanding.
When the Word of God is being preached, we must choose to still our minds of all thoughts, and be still, not distracted by anything around us, knowing that He is God, mindful
of His presence, and listen. When we do this, our spirits are being fed by the Spiritual and living and powerful Word of God, and His Spirit is revealing unto us the understanding; which shall not be taken away from us.
Hallelujah!
Luke 9:44 Let these sayings sink down into
your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men. 45 But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying.
Remember Mary.
Matthew 26.6 Now when Jesus was in Bethany,
in the house of Simon the leper, 7 There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box
of very precious ointment, and she poured it on his head as he sat at meat. 8 But when his
disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste ? 9 For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor. 10 When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble
you the woman ? for she has wrought a good work upon me. 11 For you have the poor always with you; but me you have not always. 12 For in that she has poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial. 13 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever
this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman has done, be told for a memorial of her.
Mark.14.3 And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she broke the box, and poured it on his head.
4 And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made ? 5 For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence,
and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her. 6 And Jesus said, Let her alone; Why trouble you her ? she has wrought a good work on me. 7
For you have the poor with you always, and whensoever you will you may do them good: but me you have not always. 8 She has done what she could: she is come aforehand to annoint my body to the burying.
9 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this
also that she has done be spoken of for a memorial of her.
Luke 7.36
And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat. 37 And,
behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster box of ointment, 38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash
his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and annointed them with the ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spoke within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that touches
him: for she is a sinner. 40 And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto you. And he said, Master, say on. 41 There was a certain creditor which
had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. 42 And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most ? 43 Simon answered and said,
I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, You have rightly judged. 44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, You see this woman ? I entered into your house, you gave me no water for my feet: but she has washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs
of her head. 45 You gave me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in has not ceased to kiss
my feet. 46 My head with oil you did not annoint: but this woman has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Wherefore I say unto you, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven: for she loved much: but to
whom little is forgiven, the same loves little. 48 And he said unto her, Your sins are forgiven. 49 And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this
that forgives sins also ? 50 And he said to the woman, Your faith has saved you; go in peace.
John 12.1 Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where
Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. 2 There they made him a supper; and Martha
served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. 3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour
of the ointment. 4 Then said one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him, 5 Why was not this ointment sold
for three hundred pence, and given to the poor ? 6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.
7 Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my buring has she kept this. 8 For the poor always you have with you;
but me you have not always.
John 11.2 (It was that Mary which annointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)
Some believe
that there were two occasions when these things took place: because of some differences and discrepancies in the renderings.
John says it was six days before the passover in Bethany; where Lazarus
sat at table with Jesus, and Martha served. Their sister Mary is named as the woman
which annointed the Lord with very costly ointment of spikenard, and wiped His feet with her hair. Judas Iscariot, Simon's son was the disciple to which Jesus spoke concerning the poor, and regarding the woman keeping the ointment against
the day of His burying.
Luke sets the supper into his narative when Jesus was in Galilee; in the house of a
Pharasee named Simon. the woman is referred to as a woman in the city, a sinner; there is no mention of His discourse with the disciples.
Matthew and Mark
write that they were in the house of Simon the leper.
Simon the Pharasee, and
Simon the leper may well be the same man. Simon the leper would have had to have been cleansed of his leprosy, by the Lord Jesus, to be living in
the town and hosting a dinner. It is interesting to note that Judas Iscariot is called Simon's son.
Matthew and Mark are similar; although Mark adds that the ointment was spikenard, to which John
attests; and that the woman broke the alabaster box.
Matthew, Mark and Luke agree that the box was of alabaster.
Matthew and Mark write that the woman poured the ointment on his head; but both have Jesus saying that she poured
the ointment on His body.
Luke and John agree that the woman wiped
His feet with her hair.
Both Matthew and Mark preceed the story with verses speaking of two days before the passover:
when the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people conspired to arrest and kill Jesus. This may not be in sequence, as John says the supper was six
days before the passover. As the disciples were at the supper, both Matthew and John would have been there.
What are we to make of all this ?
It seems to me that all four accounts are of the same occasion: and told from different viewpoints; and including differing participants and details.
The
main thing is that Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha, be remembered for her love, and her faith and her understanding. That the
woman broke the alabaster box, showed that she poured out all one pound of the very precious ointment of spikenard; keeping none for herself. That
the ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred pence, shows how very costly it was. On an occasion of the Lord feeding the multitude; it was suggested that two hundred pennyworth was not enough to feed the five thousand men plus women and children.
This is very important.
Luke9:44 Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men. 45 But they
understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask Him of that saying.
It is very important to meditate upon the the Word of God. Do not just read it, or hear it; but think about it's true meaning; to ask the Lord to reveal the understanding of it to you.
Luke 18:31 Then He took unto Him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. 32 For He shall
be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: 33 And they shall scourge Him, and put Him to death: and the third day He shall rise again. 34 And
they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.
The Lord had taught the disiples on various occasions that he would be killed, and that He would rise again from the dead. Although they did not understand this thing; Mary understood; for Mary had chosen that good part; to be still, and listen to
the Word of the Lord with spiritual ears, to let the words of the Lord sink down into her ears; to understand and perceive the true meaning of the words.
Lu.10.38
Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. 40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, do you not care that my
sister has left me to serve alone ? bid her therefore that she help me. 41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, you are careful and troubled about many things: 42 But one thing
is needful: and Mary has chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
To hear, with ears of the Spirit, and understand
the Word of God, we must, as Mary, choose that good part. We must choose to be still,
and to know that He is God.
We must still our mind of all thoughts, and rest our hearts upon the Lord:
and in that stillness, our Spiritual ears will be opened to hear and to understand. When we have chosen to do this, it will not be taken from us, and we will not be distracted.
Romans 10.17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.
The Lord Jesus said many times,"
Who has ears to hear, let him hear."
The word of the Lord is living, powerful, Spiritual word, and can be heard unto understanding,
only by our spiritual ears.
It is of utmost importance that we understand that we need, as Mary, to choose that good part, to make up our mind that we want to hear the Word of God with Spiritual ears, that we really want to know the
Truth; so that we are enabled to still our minds, and rest our hearts upon the Lord, and have our Spiritual ears, opened to hear, and that understanding be revealed unto us by the Holy Spirit of Truth.
Remember Mary.
Choose that good part!
Ecclesiastes 7:1a A good name is better than precious ointment;
Love Truth.
Obey God.
Live forever!
Hallelujah!