Broken and

Poured OutJohn 12:1-8

Broken & Poured Out

God desires true, full-hearted devotion. “When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And

when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favor? says the LORD of hosts” (Mal 1:8, ESV).

These priests were giving to God what they wouldn’t dare give earthly rulers.

This morning, we wish to explore the example of Mary who gave her best to the Lord.

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The placement of this passage is very important. Immediately before Mary’s devotion, we learn that the chief

priests & Pharisees wish to arrest Jesus (Jn 11:57).

Immediately after this passage, we learn that the chief priests wanted to kill Lazarus, too, for many were believing on Jesus through him (Jn 12:9-11).

Authors in the ancient world group events more thematically than chronologically.

John makes an important point in the placement of Mary’s anointing Jesus: Many in the world are turning away from believing in Jesus.

But, some are still willing to honor him.

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In this text, Mary is Broken & Poured Out. She breaks a PRECIOUS POUND.

She pours out PRECIOUS PASSION.

v 3

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“Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume” (v 3, ESV).

Broken & Poured Out

Mary took a “Precious Pound” & anointed Jesus’ feet with it. The KJV & the ESV refer to this as a “pound,” but the NIV calls it

a “pint.”▪ Both translations are correct.

▪ The Greek term refers to the Roman pound that roughly equals a modern pint.

But, the point is that Mary used a lavish amount of oil to anoint the Lord.▪ The entire house was filled with the aroma of the perfume.

▪ Matthew & Mark record that Mary anointed Jesus’ head, but John says she anointed his feet (Matt 26:27; Mk 14:3).

▪ Mary has enough ointment that she can anoint both the head & the feet.

▪ I think she may have poured the oil just on the head & it ran down all over Jesus, even to his feet.

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Mary has an abundance of an expensive ointment made from pure nard. Spikenard or “nard” is a precious ointment.

▪ Spikenard grows in the Himalayas of what today is China, India, & Nepal.

▪ Most have been quite, quite expensive to transport it all the way to Palestine.

Mary pours “pure” nard on the Lord, not an imitation.

Judas asks, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” (v 5, ESV).▪ Judas has no intention of giving the money to the poor.

▪ But, a denarius was a laborer’s daily wage.

How could Mary afford to spend such a great amount of Jesus?

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Many have generously used money to honor the Lord. After the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel because of David’s

census, the king was told to build an altar on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.▪ Araunah attempted to give the king the threshing floor.

▪ David: “I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God that cost me nothing” (2 Sam 24:24, ESV).

Jesus saw a widow put in two small copper coins in the treasury.▪ In modern currency, she put in about two bucks.

▪ But, it’s never about amount; it’s always about attitude.

▪ She gave her best.

▪ “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on” (Mk 12:43-44, ESV).

v 3

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“Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume” (v 3, ESV).

Mary displays a “Precious Passion” by wiping the Lord’s feet with her hair.

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Mary has a passion to serve & gives special attention to Jesus’ feet. At the feast, the men would have been lying around a small table

with their feet behind them.

But, the washing of feet was the work of slaves.▪ When Jesus was washing the disciples’ feet, Peter says, “You shall

never wash my feet” (Jn 13:8, ESV).

▪ Peter “knows” the Messiah shouldn’t be doing a slave’s work!!

▪ But, notice Peter doesn’t try to wash Jesus’ feet!

▪ Mary, however, is more than willing to serve & serve she does.

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Are we willing to follow Mary’s example & serve God by serving others? “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and

whoever would be first among you must be slave of all” (Mk 10:43-44, ESV).

“Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves” (Phil 2:3, ESV).

Are people able to see us as God’s people because of the way we serve others?

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Mary, in her desire to honor Jesus, wipes his feet with her hair. In Jesus’ day, Jewish women generally did not unbind their hair

in public, for loose hair was a sign of loose morals.

Mary’s act cannot be viewed with any overtones of impure motives.

Why would Mary do something that would cause some to look upon her with suspicion & scorn? Apparently, Mary is overcome with a “Precious Passion” – she is

so wrapped up in honoring Jesus that she doesn’t care what people say about her.

Mary is more concerned with honoring Jesus than she is with her peers.

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“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment” (Matt 22:37-38, ESV).

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple” (Lk 14:26-27, ESV).