BREAK THE BOX OR GRAB THE MONEY by Parris Bailey
(Its a merry Monday after all)
Jn.12:3-5 -Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred density and given to the poor?” But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial.
Matt. 26:14 -Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said unto them, “What will ye give me if I will deliver Him unto you?” And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.
What a interesting day that was, Jesus being invited to the house of Simon the leper, Lazarus and his sisters, along with the disciples and many others wanting to not only see Jesus but Lazarus who has just come back from the dead. But Mary crashed the party, embarrassing everyone with her extravagance. The smell so pungent it was nauseous, so nauseous it became offensive and the disciples weren’t having it. Judas calculated the math as he watched her pour over 10 ounces over Jesus. One million thoughts begin to swirl into his head so he blurted out; “Why wasn’t this fragrance sold for 300 denarii and given to the poor”? What of Mary and her dreamy wasteful expenditure? Spurgeon said, “But oh, to give to the Lord Jesus freely, richly, whatever it is with which he has entrusted us, whether it be gold or genius, time or words— whether it be the minted coinage of the purse, or the living courage of a loving heart, or the labour of an earnest hand! Let us give our Well-beloved the best we have, and he will call it beautiful. Mary’s gift was all for him, and all for love, and it was done at great expense, and therefore it was beautiful.”
I think it was the rebuke of Jesus that sent Judas to the other side; “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial”. Judas went out that night and met with the Pharisees and sealed the deal. Mary broke the box and Judas grabbed the money. He sells Jesus cheaply as the priests gave him what they thought the value of Jesus was-a slave. One has to wonder how many roses were crushed to make this ointment or fields mowed down for this moment? For sweet Mary kept it for that day! She saw something that the whole room didn’t see! Let each of us resolve in in our hearts as we learn to discern the times and break out box open for him. Let us keep it settled in our hearts how deep our plunge unto Christ is. Break the box or grab the money.
Has he not freely given us all things to freely give it back to him? If you are a preacher preach with a passion, a teacher study hard to bring light to others; a farmer work the ground for his glory; a businessman impact his kingdom. Break your box open! Maybe Mary learned a lot at his feet after all!
