Extravagant Love
A woman came with an alabaster jar of ointment of pure nard, which was very costly, and she broke the jar and poured it over his head. (Mark 14:3)
Mark 14:3-9; Jn. 13:35 and 15:12; I Thess. 3:12, I Jn. 4:7-12; Jer. 31:3
What Is God Saying?
The cost of this woman's act of love is staggering. A few denari was no small change. Her gift was equal to a year's wage for a laborer. Here was extravagant love. It came near the end of our Lord's earthly journey. Clouds were gathering. The power of darkness was to have its hour (Luke 22:53). This was one of the last times Jesus knew the touch of human love. In pouring the costly ointment over His head, the unnamed woman anointed her Lord's body "beforehand for burial" (Mark 14:8) without realizing it. Real love always does more than it realizes. It was an act of spontaneous, overflowing gratitude. Jesus recognized it as such.
The other guests were indignant They saw only the waste, that the nard could have been sold and the money given to the poor. Jesus saw it as love that could not and should not be measured. It was a beautiful (Jesus' word) gesture. She was to be commended and not condemned. Jesus said, ‘She has wrought a good work on me’ (KJV). The word good in Greek is kalos. Another Greek word for good is agathos. That could mean morally good or the kind of good that is sternly correct and rigidly right, but kalos is the kind of good that is both loving and lovely. Love does beautiful things.
How Does This Apply To Us?
Love costs, but the cost is never counted, and it never represents a loss. Love expresses itself in giving. Love fulfils and is fulfilled in giving. Love is like Shakespeare's mercy, ‘It twice blesses, it blesses him that gives and him that takes’ (Merchant of Venice). Since God's love is measureless, we ought to throw away all ledgers that show where we stand, what we have given out and what we have taken in. Love is not given measure for measure. Love for Christ and love for others for His sake, cannot, and should not be counted. The way to spiritual wealth is to give without counting the cost. God will balance the books in ways that will surprise us beyond measure.
Pray With Me
Loving Father, thank You for this beautiful example of extravagant love. We see how You have loved us and how we should love You. ‘God so loved the world that he gave his only son.’ Your alabaster jar of very costly ointment, the choicest possession of Your limitless riches, the life of the only perfect Man and Your own beloved Son was broken and poured out. ‘Greater love has no man than this.’ On Calvary in the apparent triumph of darkness and hate, but in the real victory of light and love, I see the love of God. In response to all this, how can I resist pouring out my most precious possession, even life itself?
Lord, forgive me that I have not broken the box of self nor poured out the gift of service and praise in any way that is equal to the debt I owe. Forgive me that I am so willing to lift the cover carefully and measure out the contents drop by drop. I pray that my life for You and others will not be characterized by careful measuring. This is the way of suffocation and bondage. I pray that my life will be a gift like the precious nard that the woman broke and poured out. You have helped me to see through her example that extravagant love is never wasted. ‘Throughout the whole world, this shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.’
In His name whose life was broken and poured out for me. Amen.
Moving On In The Life of Prayer
In prayer, our thoughts are for others. Prayer focuses on how much we have received in the grace of God and then how that grace can become real to others whose names and needs are known to us. Let us bring extravagant love into the life of prayer. It could change a barren wilderness to a beautiful garden.
