Lesson 6, Unit 1, Choice 3: The Savior Anointed

Choice 3: Mark 14:3–9; Matthew 26:6–13. The Savior Anointed

1. Review Mark 14:3–9 and Matthew 26:6–13. Then write answers to the following questions:

• What reason is given for why the woman anointed the Savior with “very precious” (costly) ointment? - For his imminent burial
  What does Mark 14:8 imply that she understood? (see also Mark 9:31–32). - It implies that she understood that he was about to be killed, buried, and resurrected.
• Why did some of the disciples feel indignant and call her action a “waste”? - 300 denarii was about a year’s wages for a common laborer (so very precious and expensive for the common person). Also Elder James E. Talmage said that “the anointing of head and feet with spikenard, and in such abundance, was an act of reverential homage rarely rendered even to kings.” I think they thought it was a waste because first of all, he was still living (and had he not died perhaps it really would have been a waste), secondly it was incredibly expensive and not even kings were anointed like that in that abundance, and third, they thought if a year’s wages were going to be spent in a minute like that it would have been better that it had gone to the poor.

1. The Savior said that the woman had “wrought a good work” and that wherever the gospel would be preached, the woman’s deed would “be spoken of for a memorial of her” (Mark 14:6, 9). What did the woman do that made it an act worthy of the Savior’s praise and our remembrance? How is the woman an example to you? Write a paragraph describing some ways that you could give the Lord something valuable. (see Matthew 25:40).

At first I thought the Savior’s reaction to being anointed with this oil was kind of strange. In most cases it seems like Jesus is humble and doesn’t want to be served or have any kind of special or reverential treatment given to him. He wants us to instead direct our praise and worship to Heavenly Father and our acts of service and kindness done to one another (for example, he washed his disciples’ feet but did not allow them to wash his feet). So allowing a large amount of special, expensive oil to be used on him, especially when that is money that could have gone to the poor, seems strange to me.
But I don’t think Jesus was praising her necessarily just for treating him like a king--but he was praising the remarkable amount of faith she demonstrated by this action. For one, it showed she believed that his mortal ministry was coming to a close and he would soon be dead and buried (many of his disciples even seemed to not really believe he would soon be gone). It also showed her faith in him being the Son of God. Nobody in their right mind would use that quantity of expensive oil on just any ordinary person. They had to have worked hard, saved, and sacrificed much over the course of several years to purchase the oil in the first place. Using up that oil on Jesus was like consecrating all of those works and sacrifices to him, saying that he was worth an entire year’s worth of labor. Basically, it’s the thought behind her action that counts.
The woman is an example to me in that without a thought she gave up something very valuable and precious for Christ. It was a sacrifice on her part to use that ointment on him, but she didn’t hold anything back. It shows me how generous I should be with what I sacrifice for Christ, since he made the ultimate sacrifice for me. Some ways I can give the Lord something valuable include paying full tithes and generous fast offerings. I can also sacrifice my time to serve him and others and in learning about him and worshipping him. Time is probably our most valuable resource on this earth to give. Money is valuable too because as the expression goes, “time is money.” By giving of our money and resources we’re essentially dedicating the time and energy it took us to earn that money to Christ as well.