The House Was Filled With the Odour of the Ointment

When Jesus arrived in Bethany just six days before the Passover, He was welcomed into the home of Simon the Leper—a man who had clearly experienced the Lord’s healing power. Gathered around the table were lives that bore witness to Christ’s transforming work: Simon, once dying with leprosy; Lazarus, once dead and now alive; practical Martha serving as always; and Mary quietly entering the room with a costly alabaster box of ointment. In a powerful act of worship, she broke the jar and poured its precious contents upon Jesus—lavishing Him with what amounted to a year’s worth of wages—an offering of pure devotion that filled the entire house with its fragrance.

While her extravagant gift stirred sharp criticism from Judas, who cloaked his greed in pious concern for “the poor,” Jesus quickly defended her sacrifice. He revealed that Mary’s act was not wasteful, but prophetic—an anointing in preparation for His burial. Mary had listened at His feet, believed His words, and acted in faith on what others had not yet understood: that Jesus would soon die, be buried, and rise again. Her love-filled sacrifice stands as a timeless reminder that the Lord deserves our very best, for He first gave His best for us. Like Mary, may we offer to Christ lives of wholehearted love and costly surrender—becoming a sweet-smelling fragrance that fills His church and glorifies His name.