Why Was Jesus Anointed?

“While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.” Matthew 26:6-7

While Jesus was visiting a man known as Simon the Leper a woman came and anointed his head with an expensive perfume. When the disciples questioned why Jesus allowed this to happen He rebuked them and said that what she had done was in preparation for His burial. At this point the disciples did not understand what Jesus meant about His burial.

One thing this clearly shows is that Jesus desires our devotion to Him more than our service for Him. There will always be opportunity for service but the times when we feel compelled to show our devotion and love we should not let them pass.

But why was Jesus anointed? He said it was done for His burial. It was customary that a person who had died to be properly embalmed with spices and anointed with oil in preparation for burial. However, Jesus was very much alive. It was a showing of love for the one who died for the mourner to anoint the person with oil. Jesus knew that this woman would never have the opportunity after He died to show her love and devotion. Jesus knew that there would not be a proper burial and the authorities would not want anyone who loved Him near His body. Her only opportunity for anointing came while He was still alive.

How often has the Lord desired our devotion and we have given Him our service instead? If the ointment had been sold and the money given to the poor I think the woman may have come to resent the action that took away her life savings. When she gave it out of a heart of love and devotion to God she would always remember how much she had loved Him. Like many of us she probably wishes she could have shown her love to Him in many other ways but she did the only thing that was open to her.

What will we give to our Lord? Will it be our service out of a sense of duty? I am sure that Simon the Leper loved the Lord but he invited Him to supper more out of a sense of duty than a sense of love. Will we give Him our possessions out of a sense of paying a debt? Maybe Simon invited Jesus to supper because he felt that he owed Him the time and the meal. Will we give Him our most prized possession? It may be money or a material possession, it may be a job or a vocation, it may be a loved one, or it may be our very life. Jesus said that no one has greater love than to give his life for a friend. What will we give our Lord to show Him we love Him above all else?