In Bethany, a woman brought a great
treasure to Jesus. She carried an alabaster
jar filled with ointment. Before the shocked
eyes of the disciples, she emptied the
expensive perfumed over Jesus' head. The
disciples cried out in dismay. "Why this
waste? For this ointment could have been
sold for a large sum, and the money given
to the poor." They understood charity.
They understood giving to the poor, yet
they could not understand this woman's
actions. Jesus, however, responded, "Why
do you trouble the woman? She has
performed a good service for me." He saw
this woman's actions as service, as serving.
More, she demonstrated an awareness of
the coming death of Christ. Jesus said, "By
pouring this ointment on my body she has
prepared me for burial." The service the
disciples would have rejected, the Master
accepted and commended.
Through out history other women have
faced similar struggles, in fact, that
struggle continues today. Too often they
are told, as this woman was, that the
service they offer for the body of Christ is
unwelcome or spiritually wrong. Jesus
offered encouragement, however. He said,
"Truly I tell you, wherever this good news
is proclaimed in the whole world, what she
has done will be told in remembrance of
her." We need to remember the brave
woman with a jar of oil and all the other
women in the Bible and in our history.
I may be wrong..but then I could be right