John 12:2–3

It was not often that anyone made a feast for Christ in this world. At times men were glad enough to receive blessing from Him. How seldom they thought of offering anything to the Blesser! In the early days of His ministry, Levi had indeed "made Him a great feast in his house" (Luke 5:29). He invited a large company of sinners to sit down with Him. Now, at length, in the closing days of His path on earth, a feast is spread for Him at which He sits down among His saints.

While the world's hatred of Christ was rising, there is a little company who gather to make "Him a supper". The leaders of this world may hold their councils to put Christ to death, and issue their commands for Christ to be delivered into their hands. But this little company are not moved by their evil plotting or their useless commands. In the face of all opposition, they make "Him a supper". Surely that supper was very acceptable to Him, and the love that prepared it very precious in His sight.

Where did the supper take place? On this John is silent; but his fellow Evangelists have both put it on record. It took place in the house of Simon the leper... Once we know the supper was in his house, we see why John mentions Lazarus sitting at the table with the Lord that day. If the supper had been in Lazarus' house, such a notice would have been unnecessary.

Lazarus at the table was the living witness of the glory of God in resurrection. Simon's house was full of people who knew that death had been robbed of its victory in Bethany. Those who had mourned at the tomb were now rejoicing at the table.

In this happy company at Bethany we can see service, communion and worship each represented, all combining to make "Him a supper". Martha still serves, but she is no longer burdened by her service. In earlier days her service had a larger place in her thoughts than Christ. Now Christ has a larger place than her service. She is serving to make "Him a supper".

So it was at Bethany. Lazarus was at the table, Mary at the Master's feet, and Martha was about the house. Everything was in beautiful order, because Christ was the object of each one. Lazarus would have been out of place if he had set about preparing the supper. And if Martha had sat at the table, no supper would have been prepared. But both were in their right places. We may be sure that both would rejoice in the fragrance of Mary's ointment as she poured it on the feet of their ever-loving and beloved Lord.

Martha was hostess and served Him. Lazarus had his part with Him at the supper table. Mary expressed her heart's devotion to Him by spending her costly ointment on Him. So we see how the knowledge of Him and of His resurrection power led to service, to communion, and to worship. Everything was happily in order — and just because it was, hostile criticism spoke out against Mary's action.

Here we have illustrated, in the most striking and forceful way, the three great features that ought to mark every Christian and every Christian assembly. There is calm, intelligent communion, as seen in Lazarus seated at the table. There is holy worship, as seen in Mary at the feet of her Lord. And there is loving service, as seen in Martha, busy about the house. Together they make up the Christian character, and every Christian gathering should show all three. We think it is a serious moral mistake to set one of these features against the others. Each, in its proper place, is lovely.

Mary had been at His feet before as a learner (Luke 10:39). She had lately wept at His feet as a mourner (John 11:32). Now she is at His feet as a worshipper. She anoints His feet with the very costly ointment and wipes His feet with her hair. Her act proclaims that, in her estimation, nothing she has is good enough for Christ. She spends the costly ointment on Him, and puts at His disposal what is the glory of a woman — her hair. She was not at that moment thinking of the poor or of blessing others; she was wholly taken up with Christ. This, indeed, is worship.

A pound of ointment! Twelve ounces of pure nard, very costly! On whom before had so much been spent? But nothing was too costly for her to spend on Him. Mary's estimate of Christ stayed unchanged and unchangeable. She had once sat at His feet; now she anointed them. So John writes, while Matthew and Mark tell us she poured the ointment on His head. Only John says she wiped His feet with her hair. Her hair is a woman's natural ornament and covering, and such a use honoured it.

No doubt she used her ointment without consulting anyone. She broke the alabaster box, or jar, that held it (Mark 14:3). No one else was ever to be anointed out of that box. It was broken. She meant that ointment for Him, and for Him alone. No word, as far as we read, escaped her lips as she anointed Him. Her act, however, spoke louder than words.

The action recorded here, and commended by the Holy Spirit, was the fruit of acquaintance with the heart of Christ. She made His heart and His desires her study, not her own. This is the great secret of true and approved devotedness. Many are giving Christ service, which is fine in itself, but which starts no further back than their own wishes and desires.

I suppose her heart had gone beyond her knowledge — "Here is the One I love going to die." Mary entered into that and gave it a voice. The Lord knew what she meant. She was no prophet, but her heart had an instinctive sense of what was coming.

All this prepares us for the statement that the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment. This was a matter of fact. But underneath the fact lies a teaching. Nothing is so fragrant to the heart of God, or to the hearts of the saints in communion with Him, as an act of absorbing devotedness to Christ. Its fragrance spreads, like the first light of morning, until it reaches all who are in the house.

"And the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment." God smells a sweet smell when we make much of His dear Son… Men, and even Christians like the disciples, call this waste — a waste of time. To them it is a whole hour or more spent in making much of God's Son, but doing nothing for man. Service, too, is right in its place, as in Martha. We will not neglect it if we are in communion with the Lord. Yet the highest thing of all is to make much of God's dear Son.