Page 18 18 It is worth 300 denarii. A denarii is a day’s wage. Therefore, 300 denarii is one year’s salary. Let me put this in contemporary terms so that you can feel the force of it. The average annual income in America today is $46,000. Think: The value of that flask of perfume was the equivalent of $46,000! This was probably Mary’s family inheritance. It represented her savings, her future, and her security. With that thought in mind, I’d like to make three observations about Mary’s act: 1) Mary recognized the supreme worth of the Lord Jesus. And she proved it by her action. Mary took that which was most precious to her. And she gave it to the Lord Jesus. Not just some of it. But all of it. She poured the entire contents of the flask . . . one pound of perfume . . . upon her Lord. What a picture of extravagant worship. What an illustration of extravagant loyalty. What a revealing of extravagant love and devotion. Recall the words of Paul in Philippians 3: “I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.” In Bethany, Jesus Christ is valued for His exceeding worth. In Bethany, it is understood that there is nothing too costly to lay at His feet. 2) The flask was shattered. When the flask was broken, the house was filled with the aroma of the perfume. The fragrance filled the house. Herein lies a great spiritual principle: When the vessel is broken, the fragrance pours forth. When a people are allowing themselves to be broken by their Lord . . . when they are “wasting themselves” upon Him, the fragrance of His life can be sensed by those who come near. There is nothing more precious on the face of this earth than a gathering of believers in whom the Lord feels at home. And when that takes place, there is an issuing forth of the aroma of Christ’s presence that can be detected by those who visit them. In Psalm 45, we are told that the Lord’s garments smell of myrrh and aloes. Before the Lord Jesus was buried, Nicodemus put myrrh and aloes on His body. Now I ask: How much myrrh and aloes did Nicodemus pour upon the body of Jesus? The answer: He used the same amount that was used for royal burials . . . 100 lbs. worth of myrrh and aloes (John 19:39, NASB). By this act, Nicodemus was testifying that he believed Jesus to indeed be a king. Now think with me. The Lord’s body was covered with 100 lbs. of fragrant spices. Therefore, when He was raised from the dead two days later, He was fragrant! And His fragrance could be smelled from afar. Point: The resurrected Christ has a scent. He emits the fragrance of resurrection.