Mark 14:8 She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial.
What have you done to prepare for your own funeral? Have you talked about the details of your service with anyone? Put it down on paper and disclosed the location to a trusted person? And what have you done spiritually and psychologically to prepare for your death? It is a day closer than yesterday for everyone.
Some people run from death. Other people embrace it. I hope, when it is my time, I will embrace it. For me, death isn’t the end. It is just the blink of an eye, and when I open my eyes, I expect to see eternity before me. This isn’t pride, this is faith solidly based on the Scriptures.
In Mark’s gospel account of Jesus’ life, he has rapidly moved from event to event with barely any time to breath. And now as Jesus’ last moments of His earthly life are coming to a close, He is sharing a meal with His closest friends. They have become His family, since His fleshly family has created distance between themselves and Jesus.
Jesus has been preparing His disciples for His upcoming death. He has told them repeatedly that He is going to die, but that He will come back to life after three days. He knows His death is imminent, and He is ready. In a short time He will be praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus is ready.
But then before this time of intense pray and pleading, an unnamed woman does something extraordinary. She pours expensive perfume on Jesus. The aroma would have overwhelmed those around Jesus. It would have gotten in their clothes and in their hair, just like cigarette smoke does. Some might even have had difficulty breathing because of the intensity of the fragrance.
But this does not bother Jesus. He knows her intent, to prepare Him for His burial. You see, burial in those days involved allowing a body to sit open in a burial chamber, exposed to air and bugs for a year’s time. Then the bones, all that would be left, would be gather and place in a clay pot for permanent burial.
Just as the grief of death would overtake them in a few hours, barely able to function because of the fear, so the fragrance of the perfume overwhelmed their gathering. Even the best fragrances can become overwhelming if used in too great a quantity, like a whole bottle when a few drops would do.
Jesus protects this woman from the misdirected shaming of the disciples. He elevates her and her act to a “remember this” moment. Even though she isn’t named, what she did survives. She helped make Jesus’ death a more welcomed, pleasant event. She helped cover the stink!
I want to encourage you to make preparations for your untimely (or timely) death. Make sure things are in order and accessible. Put them in a place that is known and easily available.
But even more importantly, make sure your heart is right with the LORD. Confess what you need to. Make amends where you can. Sings songs of joy with those who need it. Tell your story of faith to the third and fourth generation. Above all else, exalt Jesus.
The Arnold Journey 