Mary’s Heart
‘Joseph of Arimathea was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs’
John 19:38-40
We’ve probably all heard it preached how Mary poured out spikenard on Jesus’ feet and then wiped His feet with her hair (John 12:1-3). Judas objected, telling everyone the perfume was worth a year’s wages and should have been sold so the poor could at least benefit (John 12:4-6).
The amount of different perfumes brought by Nicodemus was almost one hundred times as much as Mary’s. So if Mary’s was worth a year’s wages, Nicodemus’ perfumes would have been worth somewhere round one hundred years’ wages.
The Australian median wage is around $1200 per week or $64,000 each year. Nicodemus’ gift was worth one hundred years’ wages or $6,400,000 in today’s currency.
Worship means giving Jesus all He is worthy to receive. He deserves everything, doesn’t He?
Mary gave Him what was probably her dowry. Without it she had little certainty of marrying. So she gave Him her future.
Nicodemus gave Him what would have been most of his wealth.
We need to have Mary’s heart and Nicodemus’ generosity.
To listen to this message, download in MP3 here