Are our lives filled with the presence of the Lord? Do we carry that sweet fragrance of the Lord? One of the most fragrant flowers in Israel is from a spikenard plant.
Jesus was in Bethany and a dinner was given in His honor. At this celebration, Lazarus was present reclining at the table with Jesus. “Mary took about a pint of nard (Spikenard) an expensive perfume, she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.” (John 12: 3)
Immediately her act of kindness and extreme devotion was rebuked by Judas, becoming indignant that she would waste the perfume on Jesus. He said, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” (John 12: 5)
- Extravagant love and devotion to Jesus is often misunderstood.
Yes, this was an expensive perfume worth a lot of money; but her worship was costly.
- Jesus deserves nothing but the best.
- Her devotion was costly.
Judas did not understand her devotion, nor her posture to Jesus. Usually, when oil was poured on someone to anoint them, it was poured on their head. But Mary poured it on His feet, then used her hair to wipe them. Culturally, a respectful woman did not unbind her hair in public. This showed her humility, for it was a servant’s work to attend to the feet.
- Abandoned love and worship frees us from being bound.
- Undivided devotion brings forth acts of humility that most will not understand, nor approve of.
As Judas is correcting Mary, Jesus speaks up saying, “Leave her alone. It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial.” (John 12: 7)
- We should never judge a person’s intentions; they could be a divinely appointed God moment.
- What we see with only our natural eyes as waste, God sees as extravagant honor and devotion with spiritual eyes.
Jesus said, “Whoever serves Me must follow me; and where I am My servant also will be. My father will honor the one who serves me.” (John 12: 26)
Mary was honoring Jesus, in her own way with what she had been given. Her act of worship, by pouring oil on Jesus, filled the house.
- Anointed worship fills the House. (Shared from John 12: 1-26, Modified)
The Fragrance Of Praise Fills Our Life
In a time of distress, the Psalmist is feeling his anguish. “Then I thought, to this I will appeal: the years of the right hand of the Most High, I will remember the deeds of the Lord, yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deed.” (Psalm 77: 14)
- What we choose to meditate on brings forth an attitude, an atmosphere around us.
The Psalmist continued to think upon, “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.” (Philippians 4: 8) This truly changes how we see things. It changes a bad attitude!
The Psalmist saw things differently, He says, “The waters saw you, O God; the waters saw you and writhed; The very depths were convulsed.” (Psalm 77: 16)
- He saw the sea, the sea saw God!
- God’s footprints, and His fragrance, are all over many circumstances, but often, we don’t see Him.
“Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen.” (Psalm 77: 19)
(Shared from Psalm 77, Modified)
Be Strong For Your Work Will Be Rewarded
Asa is now king of Judah. The footprints of God are with him. He and his army took up their battle positions and called to the Lord. He sought the Lord and crushed the Cushites. Then they returned to Jerusalem.
“For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach and without the law. But in their distress they turned to the Lord, the God of Israel, and sought Him, and He was found by them.” (2 Chronicles 15: 3-4)
This sounds like a New Testament message to me. What was displayed in the Old Testament, is woven into the New Testament. That’s why both bring forth His message. Jesus clearly is the only way.
“They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, with all their hearts and soul.” (2 Chronicles 15: 12)
As New Testament believers, we house the fragrance of the Lord. We are in covenant with Jesus, which means we are carriers of His presence and His fragrance. “For we are the aroma of Christ. (2 Corinthians 2: 15)
We are an offering. In the Old Testament, it was the animal sacrifices that the Lord smelled and said they were “A pleasing aroma, an offering made to the Lord by fire.” (Exodus 29: 18) If animal sacrifices were pleasing to Him, just think how much more pleasing Mary’s spikenard perfume was to Jesus!
“For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life.” (2 Corinthians 2: 15-16)
- There is life and death in the fragrance.
Mary modeled that as she was preparing Jesus for His burial, and awaiting His resurrection, the resurrection of life. This is what she was told by Jesus, as He was resurrecting Lazarus, as He was revealing who’s in the I AM.
(Shared from 2 Chronicles 14-15, Modified)
UNBROKEN LOVE SERIES
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