On a recent Lord's Day morning a few Scriptures were read and thoughts expressed which I would like to pass on to you. The Scripture read was John 12:3, 7 and 8 — "Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair, and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment."
In the previous chapter the glory of the Son of God is displayed. Lazarus is sick, and word has been sent to Jesus by the sisters (Martha and Mary), "he whom Thou lovest is sick." Jesus, upon receiving the message, stayed in the same place until Lazarus is dead. The question could be asked, Did not Jesus care about the wrench of the hearts of the sisters upon the loss of their brother? Had He left the place where He was He could have reached Lazarus and cured him, and so spared the wrench of the sisters' hearts. Did Jesus not love them sufficiently to spare them this? Of course He did. But He sought the opportunity to attach their hearts to Him in a way unknown to them before. It could have been that their brother had first place in their affections and He would have them know Who He was, that their hearts might be set upon Him, and so it should have been.
What gain they got from it all! Never before had they known Him as the Resurrection and the Life, He Who had power on the other side of death when it had touched one of His Own, and could use such power on behalf of those whom He loved! What a joy to their poor hearts when that mighty power restored to them their brother, though dead four days!
What a happy place it must have been in chapter 12! Their brother seated at the table with Jesus and the sisters in happy fellowship and worship! What were these sisters doing in this chapter? Were they fawning over their brother? Nay, they were making a feast for JESUS; He now has their affections, and the whole scene is in perfect harmony, (different from Luke 10:38). Let us look for a moment at the brother, Lazarus, and the two sisters. One thing is noticeable, they were at perfect peace in the presence of Jesus and their hearts were full of love for Him. What they had learned in John 11 had produced a most marked effect upon them. Lazarus was in the good of Ephesians 2 He had been quickened with Christ, raised up and made to sit together with Christ in a word, he is in the joy of full communion, having life (in figure) on the other side of death, and enjoying all that He, the Son of God, feeds upon.
Martha is no longer occupied with her service, and so becoming weary of it, but has a deep realisation in her soul of the joy to be able to minister to Him Who is the Resurrection and the Life, while Mary, happy portion, is pouring out her ointment in adoration of His Person.
They were evidently poor in wealth — there is no mention of servants, and from where, then, had Mary the money to buy this very costly spikenard? In verse 7 we are told that she had kept it. Had she bought it to anoint her own body? Be that as it may, she held it, and the opportunity came when she could use it to show her appreciation of the One she loves. Thus she could anoint His feet with it. Note that it is not His head, but His feet, for the glory of His Person gripped her soul. He is the Son of God, so it is His feet. And what would she use as a means to wipe them again? Why, her hair, that which a woman glories in, she would use for a towel. How she had forgotten herself! Her Lord was all to her. The best she had was not good enough, but it was all she had. How the Lord valued what she did! Amongst all His disciples this woman alone understood something of His mind and will. She understood that He must go into death Himself for the glory of God, and so, while she has the opportunity, she anoints Him.
Happy Mary, understanding her Lord's mind and using what she had saved up, what she had stored up, to pour it upon His feet! And so the odour of the ointment fills the house. How alike in all this is the bride in the Song of Solomon. Let us look for a few moments at the opposite of what we have just seen. In Luke 24:1, again we have women who loved the Lord. Surely they loved Him! Had they not watched Him on the Cross? Had they not seen that precious body taken down and laid in a sepulchre? Did they not return to their homes and spend many hours preparing spices to embalm His body? Did they not come on the first day of the week at dawn, very early, and come to the sepulchre. Why did they so return? Was it not to embalm His body? Why yes, it was, but it was too late, for in verse 3 we are told they "found not the body of the Lord Jesus." Yes, they were too late. He was risen and alive for evermore. The opportunity to anoint His body had passed. They loved Him, but they had not learned His mind.
How do these things affect us today? Much, I believe. Shall we look at Hebrews 2. Very shortly all the saints of God of this dispensation will be home in glory with the blessed Lord, there to take part in and swell the great anthem of praise. But does the Lord have to wait for that day to receive our praises? Nay, God values our praise down here very much. It is music to His heart that out of the scene in which we are, praise can ascend to Him, directed by His dear Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord says "In the midst of the assembly will I sing praise unto Thee:" and so the great Choirmaster of the universe would touch our hearts to cause them to sing praises. In the midst of all the difficulties, trials and disappointments, the Lord gathers His own together that He might sing in their midst praises to God. What can be more precious to God, that in spite of all that would hinder, (in heaven there will be no hindrance), praise and worship can ascend to Him? Mary anointed Him and poured out her heart while she had the opportunity, and had she missed the occasion she may never have had the opportunity again, for from John 13 the Lord is shut up with the disciples.
May God in His grace touch the hearts of His people that we may grasp the opportunity we have today of praising Him, led by His dear Son, that we might know the sweetness of learning from Mary. We still have the privilege of singing His praises in this scene to the delight of the Father's heart. Soon this opportunity will be gone from us. Then let our hearts rise up and praise His Name.
In conclusion let us remember that Israel sang praises at the Red Sea, and never sang again for thirty-eight years, till the lifting up of the brazen serpent. Some praise at their conversion but never again! Let us see to it that we are not like the women in Luke's Gospel, a heart desiring to do a good thing. but too late to practise it. May we be found with those that call on the Name of the Lord out of a pure heart, our own hearts led out in praise, and like Mary, "While the king sitteth at His table my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof" (Song of Solomon 1:12).
Henry Taberner.