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The Fragrance Filled the Room

While doing a Bible study on David this week, I was led to the scripture in John 12 about Mary, the sister of Lazarus, anointing the feet of Jesus. I’ve read that story so many times, but there was something that struck a chord with me this time that had not done so before.


As the story goes Martha, the always busy other sister, is occupied serving the guests. Mary instead chooses another alternative. She took a pint of pure nard, a very expensive perfume, and anointed the feet of Jesus. Then in pure love and devotion she wiped his feet with her hair. Can you just picture this scene? This sweet woman kneeling at the feet of Jesus and tenderly rubbing his tired feet with this precious perfume and then wiping them with her own hair.


At this point in time, Jesus crucifixion is imminent, and Mary chooses to honor the man, Jesus, in the most special way she can. In complete humility she knelt at his feet and used up the precious perfume that would have been used to prepare his body after death and instead used it in a public declaration of her faith in him. Her act is one of unabandoned worship and honor of her Lord and Savior. I’ve always loved this story, but this time a different part of it spoke to my heart. In verse three after Mary wiped the feet of Jesus with her hair it says; “and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume”. Wow! Was that part always there? It was as if I had never paid much attention to this profound piece of the story. Because of Mary’s unselfish and humble act, the entire house was blessed by the fragrance not only of the perfume but of her love.


How I want to be like Mary! Instead my tendency is to always be the Martha. I’m always worried about “stuff” getting done. Is everybody ok, do they have what they need? I tend to run around in busyness and miss the moments. I want to be like Mary and sit at the feet of Jesus in awe, and love, and devotion. Jesus is no longer with us, but He left us as his hands and feet. We are called to serve those around us as He would have if He remained with us. In doing so we, like Mary, spread the sweet fragrance of love to those around us.


In this beautiful story the entire household was blessed by Mary’s act of love. God’s Word has expressed this principle over and over. Acts of love, kindness, and mercy always bless others and the “fragrance” of those acts fills the places we are. In Matthew 5:13-16, God calls us as his people to be “the light of the world” and “the salt of the earth”. His purpose is that we permeate the world around us with the love of God and then He is made famous in the process. He is glorified by us.


I want the fragrance of my life to fill where I am. I want the love of God shown thru me to permeate everyone around me. Like the precious perfume in sweet Mary’s hands, I want to be broken open, poured out, and be a blessing to everyone around me. I want to serve in absolute selflessness, and utter humility, until the sweet smell of love fills the very air. I want to be the very fragrance of life and the aroma of Christ to the world.


II Corinthians 2:14-16a But thanks be to God who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life.


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