Facing Ourselves in the Anointing at Bethany

In Mark 14, we read that as the time for Jesus’ crucifixion drew near, a woman came to Him and anointed His head with an alabaster flask of precious oil. While this heartfelt act of worship provoked the disciples’ disapproval, Jesus celebrated her extravagant devotion. In the sermon “‘A Beautiful Thing,’” Alistair Begg surveys the woman’s action, the disciples’ reaction, and Jesus’ commendation, helping us to see that the only true pathway to lasting honor is to honor Christ:

The disciples are once again on the wrong side of the equation when it comes to the values of the kingdom of God. … These are the ones who have heard Jesus say, “Unless you take up your cross and follow Me, you will never be My disciple.” … They had heard that firsthand. They knew that that was part of what it meant to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. And so now, in the presence of a lady who makes this extravagant gesture, instead of their response being one of approval, they join Judas in expressing their concerns as being in another direction. …

The broken flask, the fragrant scent testified against their calculated pragmatism. If this lady had arrived at this house and sought the approval of this group before she did what she did, she would never have done it. There would be no record of it in the Scriptures, because they would have talked her out of it. They would have talked her out of it using high-sounding language about why this was an unnecessary thing to do, why this was a wasteful thing to do, why this was an extreme thing to do.

Now, my dear friends and brothers and sisters, listen: The real challenge that is contained in this passage is the challenge to face ourselves in it. We all want to say we’re the lady, but I have a sneaking suspicion that many of us are part of the disciple band. We are the pragmatists. We are the one who’s saying, “You can’t invest all that for the kingdom of God! You can’t throw your life away for the Gospel!”

Stream or Read the Full Sermon