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About the author: Karen Barnes, and her husband Clay, have been members of ZPC since the Stone Age (actually 1996). They have three wonderful children: Gracie (23), Christina (21) and Noah (10). Yes, that is a big age span and yes, that is how God planned it all along.

About this post: This blog post is part of a series of daily devotionals for Holy Week. To sign up to receive text notification of these posts, text zpc devo to 39970. We welcome your comments and questions each day.

John 12:1-8

Jesus Anointed at Bethany
Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pintof pure nard, 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.

But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

Extravagant love. When was the last time you felt extravagant love? When I was 4 years old my family took a vacation to Florida. At the hotel pool I met a kind, older gentleman (with my parents) and we struck up a friendship. I have no idea of what prompted this, but somehow he found out that I liked sweets and he knew of a special local bakery. I can still remember hearing a knock on the door and my father opening it to this man carrying me in the biggest piece of coconut cake I had ever seen. It was a gift of fluffy, white, sweet, unexpected extravagant love. He then brought me a different piece of cake every day for the rest of our vacation. I thought I won the sugar lottery! He also gave me a heart shaped rock that he found on a beach walk. He told me he wanted me to have it because he knew I would have a lot of love in my life. Oh, the power of words. I still have that rock to this day. Extravagant love take two.

When I read this passage I am struck by the extravagant love Mary felt for Jesus which she demonstrates by anointing his feet with a pound of very expensive perfume and wiping it with her hair. Yes, she had a lot to be grateful for. Jesus had raised her brother Lazarus from the dead! Her gift was all at once a public proclamation of Jesus as Lord (“The house was filled with fragrance.” V. 3b), a highly personal gesture of devotion (using her hair to wipe his feet) and a large financial sacrifice (the value of her offering was the equivalent of a year’s wages)[i]. The world, represented by Judas, did not understand this gift. Jesus did. He was about to embark on an act of love on the cross that would literally change the world. Jesus’ extravagant love for the win!

Prayer

Dear Lord,

Thank you for your gift of extravagant love in the form of your son, Jesus. May we appreciate the true value of His gift on the cross as we fully ponder the extent of the sacrifice and love embodied within. May we learn from Mary’s example and show your love to others through personal actions and public proclamations. It is in your son’s name we pray.

Amen.

Activity

Who can you show extravagant love to this week? It can be in the form of an unexpected delivery of a sweet treat, a letter of encouragement, a choice to forgive, an invitation to church or to Easter brunch, or in any other form that is uniquely you. “And do everything with love.” 1 Corinthians 16:14

[i] Zondervan NIV Bible Commentary, Vol. 2, p. 337

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