A Beautiful Thing To JESUS | Eric Gilmour [Mark 14:3-9]
JESUS says she has done a beautiful thing to ME.
We've all read this story in Mark 14:3-9, but it is a beautiful thing to JESUS—what she does.
This story is sandwiched between two things in v.2 the Pharisees are trying to kill HIM, v.10 Judas goes out to betray HIM.
But this story of this woman's worship & love for the LORD is startling — it's striking! It moves the heart, I want to talk about.
11 things that can be seen in it, if you're not familiar with the story just a quick rundown: She goes to this person's house that's not her own.
She goes to JESUS while HE's reclining at the table, she takes an expensive perfume & pours it on HIS head—empties the contents on HIS head.
This makes people mad & because they felt like something better could have been done with that expensive perfume—like sold & then the money given to the poor.
They scold her, JESUS defends her.
JESUS questions their motives & HE says that she has given to HIM of what she had—in the mo fat version of the Bible it says, “she has done a beautiful thing.”
To me & he says that the memory of her & what she has done will go with the Gospel everywhere! That's incredible!
A.] List of Way to Bless JESUS
But here's 11 things that I pull from the story I think you'll really enjoy, they move me, it touches my heart & reminds me of this place that we can live in a place of love & enjoyment of JESUS
[1] She went to a house that was not hers, which shows me HIS presence was even more important than protocol. I think what we can draw from this is the value JESUS has in our lives is determined by whether or not we allow people to distract us from HIM.
Another way to say it is:
If we live our lives by what people may think of us, we may never come to HIM, that's the first point.
[2] She's an opportunist. She doesn't come to HIM while HE's talking or while HE's teaching her while HE's sleeping or while HE's eating.
She comes to HIM when HE's reclining at the table once it opens, she takes it & I think this is indicative of that kind of love she has for JESUS.
A heart that looks for opportunities to be with HIM what does this look like? It looks like you look at your day & you see opening in the day of a couple of hours & you say I'm looking for opportunities to pour oil upon HIM;
& you say I'm going to take some of that time to pour oil—to do something beautiful, to this beautiful ONE
[3] The perfume is it's not a leftover, it's not worth little it's extremely valuable—she could have done some- thing else with it.
She could have chosen to gain personally from it but she chose to give all of it to HIM, it's perfume which is interesting because it's only for pleasure.
There's nothing she can gain from this.
It's only a gift of love to HIM, very valuable to her. So we will give HIM of what we have in proportion to our love—that's the third point
we will give to HIM of what we have in proportion to our love; how much value does JESUS have that will be determined by what we give unto HIM.
[4] She gives all of it, she receives nothing for herself or she doesn't reserve anything for another day!
She's all in in the moment, that's what worship really is. LORD here I am unreserved giving myself completely over to YOU. She recognizes HIM as the Anointed ONE.
You know anointed means to have oil on you, she pours oil on HIM—it's almost as if she is declaring by her action “YOU are & I believe YOU to be the the Anointed ONE!”
You know it was customary for guests to be anointed with oil when they came into someone's house—but she pours all the oil on HIM, which means to me HE's the only one in the room to her.
HE's all that matters to her.
[5] The next point is, her display of love makes others mad! Now she gives this perfume to HIM that is equivalent to 300 days wages!
Almost an entire year! This is expensive, it makes other people mad. I think if we are going to walk in a way of worship, living intimate lives with the LORD—to know HIS kisses & HIS sweet touch, and to run away into the cleft of the Rock & enjoy the sweetness of it..
If we're going to live that way, we got to expect resistance! Resistance is to be expected some- thing in the good deed, activity of men's hearts is restless.
[6] Tradition vs. Devotion
When we stop to just give JESUS full attention & highest place, something is restless there—and I think that our lack of understanding if you will of HIS worth & this is #6:
The lack of our understanding of HIS worth causes us to elevate things done for HIM over that which is to HIM.
You see the natural man says there's nothing to show for what she has done! There's nothing to show for worship!
…………………………………………………………………………………. I think that's what makes private prayer so special because only GOD sees it. It's for HIM & HIM alone ………………………………………………………………………………….
Let's never place what can be done over HIM.
[7] Not only does it cause resistance & from men but even a resistance in that human part of us that causes even thoughts & actions to discourage it that part of us that is judging ourselves
saying we're not doing anything! This is not that important, nothing's coming from this. This is rising from frustrations that come from a low view of JESUS.
It's arising from frustrations that come from low views of CHRIST. One of the things that John Gill says about this frustration that they have with her & their scolding of hers
…………………………………………………………………………………. he calls it resentment. He's trying to say that the love that she's displaying—the depth of the love she's displaying is exposing the shallowness of their love & this makes them upset. ………………………………………………………………………………….
But here's the thing, no matter what men say or what resistance comes to us for treasuring CHRIST & treasuring time with HIM, and prioritizing time just to pour oil on HIM.
No matter what opposition comes to us:
Remember JESUS will oppose those who oppose you & your time with HIM, if you seek GOD, HE'll help you. You'll have GOD as your defense if any comes against you, for your intimacy w the LORD
Do not defend yourself because then you will forfeit CHRIST defending of you, JESUS shoots an arrow directly into the heart of the matter by asking why to them..
HE exposes motive, which means this is a heart issue — I think we can check our hearts by our treasuring of the presence of CHRIST,
treasuring time in the presence of CHRIST.
[8] HE shows her good deed is still a good deed but her motive is only HIM, HE calls this beautiful!!!
…………………………………………………………………………………. Maybe the heart that forgets everything else & looks only to HIM is the attractive beauty to the LORD—forget your ppl in your FATHER's house & the KING will desire your beauty. ………………………………………………………………………………….
It's just this single eye that is attractive to the LORD—not only does she recognize WHO HE is but she anoints HIM q”for burial”
which is interesting, it's almost as if she's the only one in the room that realizes what is coming—maybe her glowing heart caused her to see HIS purposes!!
Praise GOD we will know the purposes of CHRIST & identify with HIM to the degree our hearts glow & light that way.
JESUS doesn't discourage good deeds to men but reveals that HIS presence trumps good deeds to men; HE proves that their lack of recognition of HIM & HIS purposes is the heart of why they see what she's doing to be insignificant.
But JESUS is saying this is beautiful, her offering comes from her. HE actually says it like this:
“She had, she did” that's the exact wording “she had & she did” so what she did came forth from what she was.
Her value of HIM, as John Gill says it was the expression of her faith in HIM, & her love to HIM. Gill also writes it was revealed to her probably by the HOLY SPIRIT that JESUS would quickly die & that time was running out & she would not be able to soon pour the oil on HIS head—so this from what she is & how she acts & that is what JESUS is most interested in
…………………………………………………………………………………. is it coming from what you are? Not just what you do, she'll be eternalized! This girl would be eternalized for what she's done. ………………………………………………………………………………….
The actual wording here, when it says in memory of her—the word memory comes from a word that actually has to do with the way ancient stories were told & it's the literary genius of tenacious memory—which is what was leaned upon for the passing on of stories.
What's the conclusion of all these points? It's this,
JESUS is more worthy than anyone, JESUS is more worthy than any deed. JESUS is more worthy than any money. JESUS is more worthy than anything
I pulled this quote from A.T Pearson on Mary's anointing of JESUS, he says:
This monument to JESUS fills the whole world with its fragrance still, & then he says this remarkable statement what a hint there is here for those who wish to leave permanent memorials!
In other words, look at what she's doing. HE sees it as beautiful & it lasts forever! Take that as a hint as a thing that's most valuable.
Wesley writes she did not wish to hold anything back, she offered up all she gave away her all; it was a tribute worthy of the KING.
You see guys to her, HE's worthy! To them it was wasted,
• to her HE is more than good people, • to her HE is more than good things • to her HE is more than good deeds
And they scold her, but she doesn't respond because she's beholding HIM; & she doesn't respond to the scolding because she's beholding!
Praise GOD! O what a statement! What a statement!!!
So may the LORD do this in you & in a fresh way to realize HIS great value & don't let anybody look down on you for choosing to block out time to to be with GOD.
Don't let anybody look down on you for being an opportunist, trying to find those moments where you can be with the LORD.
Don't let anybody look down on you for not letting people dictate whether or not you're going to pour everything out on GOD!
Don't let anybody dictate how much you give to the LORD of your heart!!!
As I wrote this down here, Matthew Henry says that the ointment was the best of her affections. The ointment is that the best of our affections, don't let anybody get in the way of you pouring everything you are on JESUS
—because to HIM, this is a beautiful thing done to HIM
GOD bless you guys!
Don't forget I meet with my partners on Tuesday nights at 7:00 PM Eastern Standard Time if you want to join & become a partner & be a part of our mentoring program I'll put a link down below.
Blessings to you!
Let's give JESUS all that HE's worth & may we be like this wonderful man says, “the monument to JESUS.”
Her Monument to JESUS fills the whole world with its fragrance still praise GOD!
