“Forever Emancipating Everyone Truly! (F.E.E.T)”  

By Ramesh C.Reddy
Pittsburgh Standard

April 04, 2009

SCRIPTURE:
"Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume." (John 12:3, NIV)

Background:
Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead in John 11. We learn there that Mary and Martha are sisters of Lazarus. Now six days before the Passover, a dinner was held in honor of Jesus at the place where Lazarus lived with his sisters. Now the story unfolds beautifully.

Observations:
I asked myself what Mary did?

Interpretations:
I asked myself the cost of a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume and it's significance?
The answer is revealed in the following verse:
"It was worth a year's wages." (John 12:5b, NIV)

To visualize a 'pint of pure nard', I thought about a pint of milk. That's how much perfume Mary used. It was not just any kind of perfume but an expensive perfume that cost an year's wages. That's what Mary decided to use for Jesus which is evident by point 2. 'Mary poured it on Jesus' feet.'

It is important to remember that in those days, in those days, women rarely worked and the man was the one who brought a paycheck home so probably this was all the money that Lazarus had earned in a year that became the family money that was used to buy the expensive perfume.

I asked myself the significance of 'Mary poured it on Jesus' feet?'
People walked a lot either bare footed or with slippers/floppies on which meant their feet got really dirty. The amount of traveling Jesus did with his disciples made Jesus have dirty feet. The feet were not just dirty but they were stinky because of all the manure on the ground and the sweat, etc where people walked.

It is almost dinner time but Mary in her gratitude for Jesus and all Jesus did for her brother Lazarus by raising him from the dead and her love for Jesus, she took the initiative to take care of Jesus' stinky and dirty feet in a special way with a YEAR'S WORTH OF WAGES by pouring it on Jesus' dirty/stinky feet.

Here alone we see a complete surrender of a YEAR'S WORTH OF WAGES for Jesus' sake. A sacrifice was made by a family for their love of Jesus. This sacrifice was not made secretively but publicly. It makes sense for dirty/stinky feet to be washed but it is surprising to do a washing using a YEAR'S WORTH OF WAGES. Yet, this is what Mary did.

It shows her love and her family's love for Jesus in a tangible way. It shows their complete hospitality to Jesus too. Before that the room must have been stinking with stinky feet but the vaporization of the bad odor just began with the POURING. Pouring expensive perfume alone was very touching and special for me to read about but Mary goes a step further which is evident by point 3: 'Mary wiped his feet with her hair' WOW!!!

I asked myself the significance of 'Mary wiped his feet with her hair?'
It is important to remember how stinky/dirty feet could have been in those days when you entered a house from the outside. The feet could have had stains of manure sticking or the odor of it, etc. Now Mary uses the EXPENSIVE perfume on Jesus' dirty/stinking feet and uses HER OWN HAIR to wipe Jesus' feet. Mary gave Jesus' feet a washing with her hair. That showed Mary's complete surrender and gratitude towards Jesus for she used ONE YEAR'S WAGES and HER HAIR for Jesus' sake. It also showed her humility and attitude towards the Lord and her desire to do something that did not look pleasant on the outside for Jesus' sake.

IMPLICATIONS:
I saw important implications for my own life. I need to surrender all that I am and everything I have for Jesus' sake. The money I make, my body, etc should all belong to Jesus to be used for His sake like Mary did.

I need to remember that people around me will not understand but think it is a waste of money, talent, time, etc when I do things with Jesus or for Jesus when that could have been used for other things but that should not stop me from serving the Lord and honoring Him especially when things don't look good.

Wiping dirty/stinky feet with her hair was not appealing to Mary but because of her love for Jesus, it became a joyous act done with joy. In the same way, what I feel I should do for Jesus may not necessarily seem appealing but for Jesus' sake and His Kingdom's sake, I should do it.

Now as we look back, what Mary did for Jesus was based on Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, etc. We on the other hand, have been raised from the dead ourselves but in a much more powerful way. We have been given eternal life and been ransomed from the deadly virus known as sin. Sin had us in its grasp and made us dead but Jesus Christ intervened by washing us not with perfume for no amount of perfume can wash away the odor of sin. Jesus POURED OUT HIS PRECIOUS BLOOD FOR US AND WASHED US WITH HIS PRECIOUS BLOOD SHED ON THE CROSS TO RESCUE US.

If nothing else seems to be happening that alone should give us so much joy that the Creator of the Universe came down to earth to rescue you and me by sacrificing His life for us. It was not WORTH JUST ONE YEARS WAGES' but 33 YEARS OF LIFE. Jesus gave that up for you and me to raise us from the deadly consequences of sin when we turn to Him and accept the solution for our lives.

I ask you now dear friend, what happened to Jesus' dirty/stinky feet on day?
Dear friend, Jesus' dirty/stinky feet were met by a woman who loved Jesus so much that she spent ONE YEARS WORTH OF WAGES for an one time cleaning of the dirty/stinky feet with EXPENSIVE PERFUME. The cleaning of the dirty/stinky feet was not done with a cloth or towel but HER OWN HAIR WAS USED TO WIPE JESUS' FEET.

Mary took all the stench of smell and dirt on to her hair and make Jesus' feet clean. Jesus allowed that because it was to foreshadow what Jesus would do for Mary and all the others SEVEN days later including for us.

Friend, Jesus' feet were dirty and stinky and Mary used HER CLEAN HAIR and EXPENSIVE PERFUME to do the CLEANSING.

In the same way, you and I are dirty/stinky to the core. Our sin filled lives make the stench of sin unbearable for God to allow us to enter His presence because God in His Holiness cannot allow sin in His presence. So, we are lost and condemned to death. God in His love for humanity knew that was the case and God intervened in humanity as Jesus, God-incarnate to redeem humanity.

Jesus Christ used HIS OWN BODY and HIS OWN BLOOD to do the CLEANSING.

Friend, Jesus loves you so much and wants to clean the stench of sin out of your life. Just as Jesus allowed Mary to POUR THE PERFUME on His dirty/stinky feet and WIPE IT ALL AWAY resulting in the effect of: 'And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume', you and I should accept the POURING OF JESUS' BLOOD on our DIRTY/STINKY SIN-FESTED LIVES so JESUS CAN WIPE AWAY ALL OUR SIN AND MAKE US CLEAN.

When we are CLEAN, it is not because we cleaned ourselves. We cannot clean ourselves because no matter how many indulgences we do, how many good things we are proud of, etc, it does not take away the bad we do. There is no such thing as 'If I do one bad thing today, then I will do two good things to erase the bad thing'.

It does not work that way in God's sight. All our good works are like filthy rags to Him. To describe it more graphically, 'filthy rags' refers to the rag used in a women's menstrual cycle. The Book of Leviticus addresses the menstrual cycle.

The good we think we do or the world thinks we do is like that to God. It is because the stench of sin in our lives overshadows the good. We are separated from God because of our sin. No matter what we do cannot make us reach God on our own. God knew that so He sent Jesus Christ into the world to bring redemption to humanity. We are part of the redeemed when we turn to Jesus.

At the dinner Jesus came to, the aroma of the dinner was overshadowed by stinky/dirty feet. Only when Mary poured the perfume and wiped Jesus' feet with her hair did fragrance fill the room.

In the same way, our lives can be a fragrance offering to the Lord only when we allow Jesus' blood to wipe away all our sins and cleanse us completely. Otherwise the stench of sin will overshadow everything else.

When we have Christ in our lives, the good we do now is a reflection of Christ working in us and through us by the power of the Holy Spirit. When God looks at us, He sees the righteousness of Christ covering over us.  Jesus wants to be our righteousness and John 12 gets the ball rolling.

Won't you allow Jesus to WIPE YOU CLEAN WITH HIS PRECIOUS CLEANSING BLOOD?

Jesus went to the cross for you and me and made the way by taking the initiative. When Jesus did that and died for humanity, Jesus made a way for us to be ransomed. The ransom has been paid not with a YEARS WORTH OF WAGES but with ALL HIS 3.5 LITRE OF BLOOD.

Now it is time for you and I to accept the antidote so JESUS CAN WIPE AWAY ALL OUR SIN AND GIVE US NEW LIFE if we have not done that.

It is necessary so we can be ETERNALLY CLEAN in JESUS' EYES to get ENTRANCE TO HEAVEN by His BLOOD.

Friend, no matter what you have done, where you have been, what has happened to you, you are never out of His love and never out of His reach. I don't want you to think that Jesus cannot accept you. Jesus will accept you as you are. Jesus loves you so much that if you were the only one living, Jesus would have still died for you.

Jesus said, "It is the sick that need the doctor and not the healthy"

You and I have been sick with the stench of sin that will choke us if we allow it to continue. But thanks be to God for the intervention of Jesus Christ to rescue us so we can be freed. Take the rescue offered to you as HOLY WEEK BEGINS.

Come as you are and leave your life in the Savior's Hands. Jesus wants to be your loving Savior. As you come to Jesus for SAVING, He will work in your life that you will love to make Him LORD too. Mary understood Jesus as LORD as she experienced His love as SAVIOR. You can too! Now is the time of Salvation.

May our lives be transformed forever emancipating everyone truly! It can only happen with Jesus Christ. Jesus will take our stinky/dirty sin fested lives and cover us with His precious blood so when others see us, the fragrance of Jesus transformation in our lives will be smelled :)

Jesus' feet nailed on the cross began the healing process to wipe away our sin as His entire body was hung on the cross with nails piercing through the pulses in both hands and crown of thorns piercing through the head all for you and me. THIS BLOOD IS FOR YOU!

If you want to experience how much Jesus loves you and what He did for you, please come join us to watch the PASSION OF THE CHRIST on PALM SUNDAY. If you want to, please text me or call me at 412-720-4579.

"Forever Emancipating Everyone Truly!" (F.E.E.T)/"What happened to Jesus' stinky/dirty F.E.E.T one day?"

May you be uplifted knowing Deliverer openly understands bringing total Salvation! Amen!

If you would like to invite Jesus Christ into your heart and make Him a daily part of your life, you can this very moment. You will never be alone. You can claim God's promises for you in the Bible and see them come true, before your eyes, in His wonderful timing. You don't have to wait for a special time to come to the Lord. You can come right now as you pray this prayer, meaning it in your heart and finding your new identity in Christ Jesus.

Make this your prayer. Don’t let the enemy deceive you into thinking you need all the answers before coming to Christ. Let me just assure you though you may not have all the answers right now before coming to Jesus, He will answer them slowly. Yes, He will for I know our Redeemer will! Amen!

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, you allowed Mary to wash your dirty/stinking feet. Anything you do has a reason and you foreshadowed what you would do for us one day on the cross. You washed away all our sins with your precious cleansing blood on the cross. Thank you so much Jesus. No matter what we have done or where we have been, we can know that you love us and paid the ransom to deliver us from the stench of sin. Thank you Jesus. I accept the antidote you offer and want you to wash me clean with your precious cleansing blood so I can have new life. My sin I give it all to you so you can cover me with your righteousness. Help me Jesus. I don't want to live like I have been living. I don't want my life to smell because of the stinky/dirty sins of my life. I know you offer cleansing and washing so I come to you now and receive it. Thank you for forgiving me of all my sin when you paid the price on the cross for me which I accept now. Please give me new life Jesus. Come into my heart and make my heart your home. Live in me Jesus and I will live for you and help me to serve you the rest of the days of my life so I can say, "Lord Jesus, ANYTHING, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE, I am ready" as you strengthen me and walk with me and talk to me. I love you Jesus. I accept you as my Lord and Personal Savior. Please be my Lord and Personal Savior. Thank you for helping me learn about what Mary did for you and the implications for our own lives. Thank you that you have heard my prayer and answered me giving me new life. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!