Mary the Prostrate

"Mary took a pound of ointment...and anointed the feet of Jesus" (John 12:3).

The scene preceding the betrayal of the Lord Jesus, when Mary of Bethany anointed him with the ointment(Matt. 26:6-13; Mark 14:1-9; John 12:1-8) 

                            is an explanation of the meaning of prostration.

The prostrate here is a woman to whom her spices and perfumes were of great value, and who used them only sparingly and on very special occasions, but who broke the precious, delicate, alabaster bottle - very expensive in itself - and in an act of unreservedness poured out its entire precious contents on the body of the Savior. Those present knew that the amount of perfume she poured out was equivalent to a year's wages, and in it we see prostration resulting from the dedication of every day, every hour, and every minute to the Lord.

How did this woman collect such a sum? How long had she been saving up to buy this treasure? How long had she kept it among her own treasures? Had she bought it specifically for this purpose? We do not know, of course, but we do know that she freely poured it out without measure upon the One who was the object of all her awe and affection.

The spiritually dead Judas and the spiritually insensible eleven apostles harshly criticized her act as a waste, the great value of which would have been better used to help the poor. But the Lord Jesus valued this act perhaps more than any gesture of appreciation or reverence that had been given to Him while He was on earth, for this act looked forward to the burial of Christ, which was an integral part of His primary mission on earth.

This may suggest strongly that

"Mary, who sat at Jesus’ feet and heard him say" (Lk 10:39) 

had a deeper understanding of Christ and his work than hundreds of his disciples, even the apostles themselves. Her focused engagement with her Lord and his words enabled her to offer a adoration that warmed his heart, even if she was misunderstood by those with a less intimate relationship with the Lord.

By Bill Van Ryn