An Expensive Gift For Jesus

Mark 14:1-2

The important priests had decided that Jesus should die. But they did not know how to take him away from the crowds. During each day, large crowds listened while Jesus taught them. So these priests needed to know where Jesus was by night.

Usually, nobody would tell them. But some disciples were not happy with Jesus. This happened because of the event that Mark describes next (Mark 14:3-9). Among those disciples was Judas (Mark 14:10-11; John 12:3-5).

Verses 3-9

We know many things about the woman. The Bible tells us who she was (John 12:3). And we know many things about her family (Luke 10:38-42; John 11:1-44). But Mark does not tell us these things. He only tells us how she showed her love for Jesus.

She gave something that was both beautiful and expensive. And she gave it all.

Some disciples thought that Jesus would be angry. They were not rich men. They knew that the gift was expensive. They wanted to use the money so that they could help poor people. And they thought that the woman had wasted her gift.

But the woman did not waste her gift. She had a short time to show her love to Jesus. And she showed that she loved him completely. Soon Jesus would die. But this woman had prepared.

Those disciples knew that poor people needed money. But they did not know what God was doing. By her gift, the woman showed that she knew. She was preparing Jesus‘ body for his death. That is why it was right to give this gift.

It was right to give an expensive gift because Jesus is a king. And the woman had to give it before Jesus‘ death. The women would not have the time to give these gifts after his death (Mark 16:1-8).