MATTHEW 26:6-13 THE ANOINTING

Written by , Rector of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, Richmond, Virginia
 

⁶ While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, ⁷ 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. ⁸ When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. ⁹ “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.”
¹⁰ Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. ¹¹ The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. ¹² When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. ¹³ I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

There is nothing of greater importance in our lives, both temporal and eternal, than the presence of God. This does not deny the mandate to serve others and practice justice and mercy in our lives. However, even such service must not be allowed to take precedence over following Jesus.

In following Jesus, we find that the service we are to render is a self-denying service. It involves a death. Indeed, it entails dying daily, and throughout each day, to our way of living and our self-promotional motives. It is a matter of submitting to God and mutually submitting to one another as we follow Jesus (Ephesians 5:21). It is the death and new life symbolized by Baptism.

³ Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

⁸ Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. ⁹ For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. ¹⁰ The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. ¹¹ In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. (Romans 6:3-4, 8-11)

As Jesus made the decision to go to the cross, in our baptism we have made the decision to follow him. Having made that decision, Jesus was prepared for his death by being anointed with fragrant oils. We, having made our decision to die to self and follow him, have been anointed with the Holy Spirit in Baptism in preparation for taking up our cross. Our anointing is not a ritual service to the dead, but an empowerment for true living. It is our assurance that Christ will always be with us.

Let us remember the woman, so that we will be reminded of our anointing and its purpose.

Lord Jesus, as you were anointed with oil by that woman in preparation for your sacrifice, so too I have been anointed with the Holy Spirit. You chose the cross and to die for us sinners. May I choose daily to follow you and die to my sinful nature so that through your Spirit I might serve others in your Name and for your glory. Amen.

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