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Gospel Fueled Service to God
Matthew 26:6-13; John 12:1-11
The Bible is filled with names of people who served God’s kingdom. There was Barnabas. His name was Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus; but because of the lavish way he gave, he received the nickname Barnabas - Son of Encouragement. There was also Epaphroditus, sent by the Philippian church to take care of Paul in prison. We learn that he fell sick and nearly died. His friend heard about this and were anxious for him. But when he heard about their anxiety, he wanted to comfort them. Sick, but still thinking of others. Then, there was Timothy, who served with Paul - whom Paul called his son. In fact, Paul said these words about Timothy in Philippians 2:20-21, “For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.” Meaning, compared others, Timothy really had Christ’s kingdom on his mind.
Would this be said of you this morning? That you really have Christ’s kingdom on your mind? Or are you like most - for all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s? Why this topical message today? I felt it was needful to address our Christian service. As the church grows with more people coming, and more people means more needs; and ministries become busier; and people are looking for places to serve - there are challenges. Yes, there’s a need to address the distribution of service. Yes, there’s a need to train up more people to serve. Yes, we’ve even called for more officers and for people to pray for the full-time ministry. But today, I’d like to speak about the attitude to service. And this morning, I’d like to examine another person who received high praises for her service. In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus said that what she did was a good work, and wherever the gospel is preached in the world, what she did would be told as a memorial to her. Throughout Jesus’ earthly life, no other person received higher praise from our Lord. I’d like to explore the passage in 2 descriptions. Firstly, her service was fueled by devotion; and secondly, their shock was fueled by worldliness.
Firstly, her service was fueled by devotion. Jesus was at the house of Simon the Leper. A woman came to anoint his feet with perfume. The woman here is Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead. Most probably, Simon the leper in Matthew 26:6 was their father. Mary is no stranger to us. Before this incident, she was already praised by Jesus. In Luke 10:38-42, we see that Jesus commended her for her spiritual desire. She sat and adored Christ. She learned from him as he was teaching his disciples. And it was from that knowledge of who he was that fueled her devotion and service. And we see how much it cost her.
This event took place probably 2 weeks after Lazarus was resurrected and a day or two before Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey. Mary came to Jesus with an alabaster box containing a pound of very precious spikenard ointment. The Bible says it was exceedingly costly. In Matthew’s gospel, she poured the oil on Jesus’ head. In John’s gospel, she anointed his feet, after which, she used her hair to wipe them. Likely Matthew and John were looking on from different vantage points. But the point is this, he was anointed top to bottom.
But what was spikenard and what made it so costly? In those days, Jewish custom and tradition dictated that a lady would save up money from the time she reached puberty. From her work, she’d buy enough perfumed oil as a dowry. This oil was used to anoint her future husband on the night of their wedding. Such an act was symbolic of a woman’s greatest love for her husband. Mary, like every other Jewish woman, had bought ointment intended for her wedding. But she used it to anoint Jesus. This demonstrated her devotion. It means what she had saved for her wedding, was used for Jesus.
Also, the fact that it was spikenard shows the extent of her devotion. As with today, there are different grades of perfume. There’s eau fraiche - the cheapest one where the perfume lasts for 1 hour, followed by eau de cologne - where the fragrance only lasts for 2 hours. Then eau de toilette, eau de parfum, and then finally parfum - which has more pure perfume essence and can last up to 24 hours. And today, there are different brands made with different oils. At one point in time, the most expensive perfume in the world was Joy by Jean Patou. My mother had a small bottle of parfum. Yes, other scents are nice - like CK1 by Calvin Klein, or whatever, but Joy by Jean Patou was the perfume. So spikenard was the Joy by Jean Patou Parfum in those days. It was so expensive that usually only kings and queens could afford it. In the Song of Solomon 1:12, spikenard is mentioned in the context of the king and his beloved. It was a perfume used by the rich. Why it was so expensive was because it came from the foothills of the Himalayan mountains - still very high up. And it came from the spike or the root of the nard plant - a plant that only grew in that specific altitude and temperature. This is what made it very rare. And simple economics tells us that if the demand was high and supply was low, the price would be outrageous.
Furthermore, it had to be imported from the Himalayan mountains through treacherous mountain paths, through India, across the Hindu Kush, through the desert sands of southern Persia, then traveling north along the fertile crescent arcing down to Israel. The root had to be processed - the essence and the oil distilled and purified. Because of middle men along the way, the price increased - with the manufacturing process and the transportation. There would be hiring of mercenaries to protect cargo. There were bandits along the way. Its scarcity and high production costs made it exceeding costly.
The King James says it was worth about 300 denarii. And according to some Bible scholars, it was as much as what a worker could earn for a whole year. I don’t know exactly how much that would be, but let’s do some calculation according to some clues we find in the Bible. When Jesus fed the five thousand men, in Mark 6:37, we’re told that it would probably take 200 pence worth of bread to feed them. Today, if I wanted to feed 5000 people in Singapore at $5.00 per person (packet food and drink), I would need a total of $25,000. And since Mary’s ointment was worth 300 pence, it would probably be worth close to $40,000. But to be clear, it was 5000 men, not including women and children. With them included it could be 15,000 people, or $75,000, meaning it the perfume could’ve cost $112,000. This was how lavish her devotion was. This is why the Bible says it was exceeding costly.
But why did she serve this way? In John 12:7, after the disciples murmured about her, Jesus said, “leave her alone, she has kept this for the day of my burial.” Jesus gave this reason - she kept the oil for the day of his burial. In some manuscripts, we read that she intended to keep the oil for the day of his burial. The difference is minor. One says she kept it and was now using it in anticipation of his burial; but the other says she intended to keep it for his burial but shows she couldn’t wait. Meaning, one anointing was intended, the other was on the spur of the moment. Whatever it was, we see that she knew that Jesus was going die and be buried. Now, people are embalmed before they’re buried. They’re embalmed with dry spices, then wrapped in embalming cloths, then embalmed with wet spices - like oils. If you recall, Jesus was only embalmed with dry spices because it was almost the Sabbath Day; in fact, Mary Magdalene and the women went to buy wet spices after the Sabbath on Saturday night, so they could bring it to the tomb on Sunday morning to embalm him. But why did Mary of Bethany anoint him with oil before even his death, and way before his burial? And why did she anoint his head and feet? It was not customary to do both, as a host only provided water for washing the feet. It was a customary to anoint the head of an honored guest, but not with a pound of ointment. Now, a Roman pound was 12 fluid ounces or 350 ml. So Mary poured a lot of oil on Jesus. This was a like an anointing. The reason why she did this was she did it for his burial. She did it because she both loved him and she understood what was to happen. And indeed, Jesus would be crucified a week from that day.
She knew he would die. She was the disciple who had great wisdom and knowledge. She served this way because she believed what he had said all along. She was better than the other disciples. When Jesus told them, many times did they rebuke him and disbelieve him. Mark 8:31,32 records for us one of these incidents. - “And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him. But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.” They were consistently dismissive of his teachings on his death. On the other hand, Mary who sat at the feet of Jesus learning, she understood and believed. And she loved him for what he was going to do. And why did she do it at this time? It was because she knew about his impending death. She knew it was close. She knew it had to be Passover. And it was out of that love and knowledge that she served Christ.
But sadly, we see the response of the disciples. They were shocked. That’s the second description. Their shock was fueled by their worldliness. Matthew records the response of the disciples. Matthew 26:8 - “But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor.” John records the response of Judas Iscariot. John 12:4-5 - “Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him, Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?”
Now, Matthew recorded all the disciples saying it is a waste. They were even angry. They felt the perfume would’ve been much better used by selling it and the proceeds given to the poor. Judas was recorded as saying this was worth 300 pence. Because he was counted among the disciples, he too was filled with indignation. He too thought it was a waste. What’s waste? Waste means a useless consumption or expenditure. It means to consume, spend, or employ uselessly without adequate return. For example, you can go to NTUC to buy a carton of 24 cans of Coke for about $20. That means one can costs about $0.83. But if you go out to a restaurant, that same can of Coke will cost you $3. Some would call it a waste of money. Or if you take 10 days to finish a 2 days’ job, that is a waste of time. Waste in this context means paying or spending too much for a small thing. So for the disciples at that time, it was not worth spending that kind of money just to anoint Jesus. It was a waste. They saw the amount poured on Jesus and felt it was too much. Indeed, 350 ml of high grade, spikenard perfume. But we want to see their individual responses.
Let’s look at Judas’ response first. The reason why he was shocked at her extravagance was because of his worldliness - he was greedy - he desired money. We learn clearly in John 12:5-6 - “Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? 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.” Judas followed Christ because of the advantages he could gain from following him. He was an unbeliever - a hypocrite in the church. And what he could gain was money. This is not unlike Ananias and Sapphira. When Barnabas gained his reputation for his generosity, they also want to be known for generosity - but they used their service to try to gain influence and a reputation. Barnabas was given it; they wanted to earn it. Service to them was not for Christ; it was for them. They wanted the name and the money. Simon the Magician wanted to pay money for the gift of the Holy Spirit. He thought that he could continue in his old profession of charging for his spiritual services. Money was what he wanted. So likewise, Judas followed Christ for money. He was the treasurer and was stealing from the till. His attitude was simple. He used Christ for gain. Unlike the other disciples that called Jesus “Lord,” Judas never used this title for Jesus instead calling him “Rabbi.” Jesus was nothing more than a teacher. While the other disciples made great professions of faith and loyalty, he never did so and seemed to be silent. You can imagine why he betrayed Jesus. At this event, Jesus rebuked him - John 12:8 - “the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.” And many people were there as verse 9 wanting to see Lazarus. Judas was humiliated. And in verses 10-11, we see that the chief priests were determined to put Jesus to death. This humiliation coupled with what happened in the next few days of Jesus cursing Jerusalem and his run ins with the authorities, Judas probably lost confidence. Matthew 26 tells us that he went to the chief priests - what will you give me to deliver him to you? And when they offered him money - 30 pieces of silver - he accepted it. Now, 30 pieces of silver was not a lot of money. It was the sum you paid to the master of a slave gored to death by your bull, Exodus 21:32. Meaning, the worth of Jesus’ life was the same as that of a slave. It was an extremely small sum. But the fact that Judas was willing to do that despite having being treasurer - which means he had access to more; means that he saw Jesus as outliving his usefulness. Why won’t people serve Christ - the king of kings? Because he’s not king to them. And that’s why many abandon Christ. He can’t give them what they want. $1 spent on Jesus is a waste of money. One minute spent on Jesus is a waste of time. One word spoken for Jesus is a waste of breath. One VBS tract handed out is a waste of effort.
But what’s sad is the worldly attitude of the disciples. While Judas wanted money, their desire was for influence. This is subtle and isn’t explicit from this passage. But I want to offer it as an option. When Mary poured the spikenard, the disciples were also angry because it could’ve been sold and the money given to the poor. Now, Jesus did say the poor you always have with you. He was not being heartless. He cared for the poor. He provided deacons in the church to care for the poor. But why did he say such a seemingly heartless thing? It’s because the disciples wanted to be influential. They thought they could use the poor to be on their side when Jesus came into his kingdom. Remember - they were always arguing about who would be first in the kingdom - who’d be prime minister when Jesus became king over Judea. And giving money to the poor would gain the loyalty of the people. But Jesus - money doesn’t solve problems. The poor you’ll always have with you. People will follow you, and whatever political party that gives out money; but once the money runs dry, the support will fail. In other words - what are you going to do after this? The poor you will always have. But me on earth? Not always. Leave her alone - what she’s doing here will be spoken about all over the world. To Martha he said in Luke 10:41-42, “Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” Same commendation. She sat and listened - that was better; then she served - and her service was better. They wanted to be influential, and to build Christ’s kingdom - but Christ’s kingdom is built by service to Christ, not self-serving sacrifice. There are people who want to serve because their needs are most important. Service benefits them. Service aggrandizes them. And when they can’t serve the way the want, they stop serving. Mary’s service was quiet, costly, and lowly. She used her hair, the woman’s glory, to wipe Jesus’ feet. There are those who think they know service. But we only know it like the disciples. If only we know it like Mary. Dearly beloved, there are not many Barnabases, Timothys, Epaphrodituses, and Marys. For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s. There were many in Paul’s day who served, but out of contention, not sincerely.
How can we apply this today? We all need to serve with more love and knowledge. That’s the fuel and attitude of service. We can be like Martha who got upset when others were not serving. But Mary served much better than she did eventually. We must grow in loving devotion. We must listen to Jesus. Not just busy and fleshly. Character of service is important. Isn’t it interesting that the disciples wanted to serve Christ, but were angry with Mary? Isn’t it interesting that Martha was busily serving, but angry? They were more concerned for themselves. Martha said - make her come and help me! The disciples said it in a more roundabout manner - she should’ve sold this for money to feed the poor to benefit us. Mary served lavishly. She perfumed lavishly; while they were a big stink. She chose the better part - at the feet of Jesus twice. Once listening, once washing. When you feel easily upset when you’re opposed or under-appreciated, remember Mary. Leave her alone, Jesus said. Perhaps as the disciples, we can’t fathom that anyone else can serve besides us. Mary didn’t do it right. Leave her alone. This is a valid form of service. Better - because she’s doing it for me. I’m not always going to be here with you. And that’s another thing. We serve because Christ is not here with us. But he’s coming. He’s entrusted us gifts and talents to use to build up his kingdom. How can you serve lowly, lavishly, lovingly, liberally, lawfully? And as we see Mary, our eyes can’t help but look to Christ. He left heaven’s glory to come to be with us. He served us by dying for us - giving to us his very life. To take upon himself the form of a servant and humbled himself to be sacrificed, pouring out his blood to cover all of us - head to toe, that we may be clothed in robes of white. He lavishes his Spirit upon us; and prays without ceasing for us in heaven. How can this gospel fuel our service to God? Love him and serve him and his people.
Martha in the kitchen, serving with her hands,
Occupied for Jesus with her pots and pans.
Loving Him, yet fevered, burdened to the brim,
Careful, troubled Martha, occupied for Him.
Mary on the footstool, eyes upon her Lord,
Occupied with Jesus, drinking in His word.
This one thing was needful, all else strangely dim;
Loving, resting Mary, occupied with Him.
So may we, like Mary, choose the better part:
Resting in His presence, hands and feet and heart;
Drinking in His wisdom, strengthened by His grace;
Waiting for the summons, eyes upon His face.
When it comes, we’re ready, spirit, will, and nerve;
Mary’s heart to worship, Martha’s hand to serve;
This is the rightful order, as our lamps we trim:
Occupied WITH Jesus, then occupied FOR Him!
1. Her Service Was Fueled By Devotion
A. What it cost her
B. Why she did it
2. Their Shock Was Fueled By Worldliness
A. His desire for money
B. Their desire for influence
Conversation for Change:
1. How has the gospel fueled you to be a more patient, humble, zealous, and loving servant? How have you seen knowledge puffing you up instead in the service of God?
2. Consider your experience of conflict in church service - how did carnality express itself? Why do some people think that indignation appears holier?
3. How can we adopt a posture of service like Mary - content even in solitude to serve Christ?
* As a matter of courtesy please advise Rev. Mark Chen, if you plan to use this sermon in a worship service. Thank-you.
(c) Copyright 2023, Rev. Mark Chen
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