Introduction
In Matthew 26:6-13, we learn about a woman who anoints the Lord Jesus. In verse 10, the Lord Jesus states, “She has done a beautiful work for Me.” This saying might prompt us to reflect: Lord, I love You so much, and I wish to do a beautiful work for You, just as this woman did. While I would love to pour expensive ointment on You, I cannot, since You are not physically present on earth anymore as You were then, and besides, I do not have expensive ointment or much money to offer. So, we might ask, Lord, what can I offer to You in my condition that would truly please You to the point that You would tell about my good works to others?
In the Old Testament, offerings are described as a pleasing aroma to God (see Leviticus 1). However, we no longer live under the Old Testament Law, as the Lord Jesus is our Law. When we wholeheartedly dedicate ourselves to the Lord Jesus, we can present a pleasing aroma to God in various ways. For example, when we engage in a heartfelt love toward the Lord, such as a food fast offering as a sacrificial fast, it, too, is considered a pleasing aroma to God (see Joel 2:12-13; Matthew 6:16-18; Mark 2:20). Furthermore, when we share the good news of the Lord Jesus with pure hearts to those He places in our path, “we are a sweet savor of Christ to God, both to those who are saved and to those who perish” (2 Corinthians 2:15).
In this context, one might wonder if there are other specific ways to serve the Lord that would be considered a pleasing aroma to Him. In this blog article, we reflect on Matthew 26:6-13 and encourage every believer to meditate on this Bible passage. We should examine the example of the woman in this story, the Lord Jesus’ answers and teachings, and explore ways we can serve the Lord, creating pleasing aromas for Him, so that He may commend our efforts.
She Has Done a Beautiful Work to Me
In Matthew chapter 26, the Lord Jesus visits the house of Simon the leper in Bethany. The purpose of the Lord Jesus’ coming to earth is to show love and mercy. He comes for the people that nobody wants and is with them. The Lord Jesus teaches us not to look down on anyone, regardless of their condition, but to show love and mercy. Also, during this visit, a woman anoints the Lord Jesus’ head with an expensive ointment. This common sinner wants to glorify the Lord with what she can afford; this is how she wants to glorify and show people that she worships the Lord. The Lord uses this woman’s actions to teach the disciples about unity.
Matthew 26:6 And Jesus having been in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper,
Comments Matthew 26:6. The event described here in Matthew 26:6-13 is the same as that described in Mark 14:3-9, but a different event from that described in Luke 7:37-39 and John 12:1-8.
“In the house of Simon the leper.” Simon the leper, as it says, had leprosy from the head to the heel. He was full of leprosy, and he had been rejected by people, but here the Lord associates with this leper. In human eyes, Simon is unclean; in the Old Testament or the New Testament, leprosy is unclean. We should remember that a leper was considered an outcast; you would not associate with an outcast. But the purpose of the Lord’s coming to earth is to show love and mercy. He comes for the people that nobody wants, and is with them. This verse should teach people not to look down on anyone, regardless of condition; the Lord comes for all.
7 a woman came to Him, having an alabaster earthenware pot of fragrant oil of great value, and she poured it on His head as He reclined.
Comments Matthew 26:7. One might wonder who was this woman? In this place, it just wants to let us know that this common sinner wanted to glorify the Lord with what she could afford; this was the way she wanted to glorify and show people that she worships the Lord. This woman was just a commoner among people, but for what she did, she is no longer a commoner: we all know about her action, how she glorified the Lord.
“She poured it on His head as He reclined.” This act is part of the culture of showing honor to a person. Normally, it was done to the elders, but the Lord was not an elder yet; so, it was a respect that she showed in front of people’s eyes to see.
8 Then having seen, the disciples became indignant, saying, For what purpose is this waste?
9 For this could have been sold for much, and have been given to the poor.
10 But Jesus perceiving it said to them, Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful work to Me.
Comments Matthew 26:10. When the verse says “she has done a beautiful work,” the Lord already prepares the disciples for the things to come, because the Lord has seen that between them the quarrel will come (each individual has their own opinion of all things); but the purpose of saying “she has done a beautiful work,” is to make unity. For what the Lord has told them, they will talk among themselves. The Lord wants unity between them, to bind them together, and to start working.
11 For you have the poor always with you; but Me you do not have always.
12 For this woman in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial.
Comments Matthew 26:11-12. For the first portion (verse 11), the meaning is complete; in the second portion (verse 12), when she poured the ointment for preparing, she had done what the Lord had put in her heart, because her heart was clean. She may be a sinner, but in her heart, she was clean, because no one will care for the deed of the Lord; then and now, it is the same. The Lord can perform many miracles, but in a flash, all are forgotten. They have seen miracles, but they still crucified the Lord; many miracles have been shown, but they did not work in the hearts of the people there. Comparatively, this woman comes without a miracle shown to her, while the rest have had many miracles shown to them, but their hearts were not opened, and none of them cared about what would happen.
13 Truly I say to you, Wherever this gospel shall be proclaimed in the whole world, that also which this woman has done will be spoken of for a memorial of her.
Comments Matthew 26:13. This passage about this woman will be an example for people of the way they should come to the Lord, with a clean heart, to glorify the Lord.
Conclusions
In conclusion, what lesson can we learn from this Bible passage to guide us to find beautiful works we can do to be a pleasing aroma to the Lord? In this passage, the Lord Jesus teaches us that He desires all of us to repent and come to Him with clean, willing hearts. He encourages us to live in unity, refrain from judging others, and show love both to God and to one another. Additionally, He points to this woman as a valuable example of how to respect, honor, and glorify the Lord. We must never forget who our God is: He is the Lord God Almighty, the Creator of both the seen and unseen worlds. He is the God of miracles, and while He performs them, we should not come to Him expecting to see miraculous signs to believe, as that would be testing Him. The mighty miracle has already been done: the Lord Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the world, was buried in the tomb, rose again in the body on the third day, and ascended to the Father after appearing to many in His resurrected body. Therefore, we should live a holy life marked by prayer and fasting, showing a deep love for bringing souls into the kingdom of God by sharing the good news about the Lord Jesus. Let us not reject help to anyone because of their race, status, or appearance; we should not look down on anyone, regardless of their circumstances, because the Lord comes for all.
From the woman’s actions, we can learn several important lessons: we should follow through on the call to serve the Lord as it is laid on our hearts, repent from our sins, and not expect miracles as a prerequisite for our faith. Additionally, we should sincerely honor and respect the Lord from the depths of our hearts. We must honor all the Persons of the Trinity (God the Father, God the Son, Jesus Christ, and God the Holy Spirit) and show respect to the Lord in everything we do, including our speech and actions. Do not even mention or seek to find out what other religions teach and say about our God or the negative opinions people may have regarding the Lord (Exodus 23:13; Isaiah 45:20-23; Ephesians 5:1-21). Do not take the name of the Lord in vain by mocking the godly people in the Bible or making light of biblical content for the sake of humor (Exodus 20:7; Deuteronomy 5:11). In today’s popular culture, it has become common to make jokes about God and the Bible in church, but this is so wrong and often borders on blasphemy. We must treat the Trinity of God and His Word with reverence and respect.
As followers of the Lord Jesus, the Son of God, we must be baptized in water in the name of the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit, and seek the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Then, by living a life of faith in the Trinity of God, meditating on the Word of God, practicing His teachings, and spreading the good news about the Lord Jesus and His kingdom throughout our lives, our names will be written in the Book of Life, and that is the greatest honor one could have.
Meditation Tasks
- Read and meditate on the following Bible verses: Exodus 23:13, Isaiah 45:20-23, Ephesians 5:1-21, Exodus 20:7, and Deuteronomy 5:11. Reflect on whether we truly practice these commands in our lives. We also encourage all readers to check out our blog article titled, “Who is Your God?”
- Take time each day to reflect on how to live a life that pleases the Lord and to honor God through your actions and words. We also encourage all readers to check out our blog article, “How to Live a Christian Life Daily.”