11 - Fragrance

Luke 7
36. One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to come to his home for lunch and Jesus accepted the invitation. As they sat down to eat,
37. a woman of the streets - a prostitute - heard he was there and brought an exquisite flask filled with expensive perfume.
38. Going in, she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping, with her tears falling down upon his feet; and she wiped them off with her hair and kissed them and poured the perfume on them.
39. When Jesus' host, a Pharisee, saw what was happening and who the woman was, he said to himself, "This proves that Jesus is no prophet, for if God had really sent him, he would know what kind of woman this one is!"
(Living Bible)

Two unusual sensations permeated the home of the Pharisee that day:
one was the sound of the weeping of the woman who came in uninvited;
and the other was the fragrance of the perfume which pervaded the whole house.

One could imagine that the sound of her weeping must have brought all activity in the house to a standstill, as everyone came to stare in wonder at the woman, whom they would all normally shun, who was weeping over the feet of Jesus in this fashion.

Then their amazement grew as she broke the flask and poured out this wonderful fragrance which filled the air and lingered there for a long time.
It was a day they would never forget.

This was not the only occasion when perfume was poured on the Lord Jesus.
The Apostle John tells us of this incident:
1. Six days before the Passover ceremonies began, Jesus arrived in Bethany where Lazarus was - the man he had brought back to life.
2. A banquet was prepared in Jesus' honor. Martha served, and Lazarus sat at the table with him.
3. Then Mary took a jar of costly perfume made from essence of nard, and anointed Jesus' feet with it and wiped them with her hair. And the house was filled with fragrance.
4. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples - the one who would betray him - said,
5. "That perfume was worth a fortune. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor."
6. Not that he cared for the poor, but he was in charge of the disciples' funds and often dipped into them for his own use!
7. Jesus replied, "Let her alone. She did it in preparation for my burial."
(John 12 Living Bible)

Prayer:
Father, may I be willing like Mary and this woman, to pour out the worth of my life upon You,    in Jesus' name,    Amen.