(3) And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head. (4) And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste, of the ointment made? (5) For it might have been, sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her. (6) And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. (7) For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good but me ye have not always. (8) She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. (9) Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.
There is somewhat uncommonly interesting in this transaction, and as our LORD himself declared, that it was significant of his burial, our chiefest improvement of it should be with an eye to JESUS.
Spikenard was in itself, we are told by naturalists, a small shrub not lovely to the view, but very grateful to the smell, (see my Poor Man's Concordance, Spikenard), but when it was prepared into an ointment, it was very costly. This poor woman is supposed, and perhaps rightly so, to have been either Mary, the sister of Lazarus, (for this transaction was at Bethany), or Mary Magdalene. But the LORD saith the act was symbolical. And what could be more striking, in allusion to his person and sacrifice, than this act of affection, ex cited, and altogether accomplished by the work of grace in her heart. Spikenard was very expressive of the person, and offices of CHRIST. Lowly and humble in himself, there was no beauty to desire him, yet the sweet savour of his name is as ointment poured forth. Song of Solomon 1:3-12. Precious LORD JESUS! though thy people of the pre sent day have not the privilege which this woman had, to anoint thine bead at thy table, yet while they sit before thee, and by faith behold thee, we would say with the Church, cause my Spikenard to send forth the smell thereof. Everything in thee, and from thee, is more precious than the mountains of frankincense. Thy person, thy blood, thy righteousness, are all lovely and refreshing.