When I was a student at Johns Hopkins, I had a friend come by and visit me. He shared that he was going on a trip overseas this upcoming summer and if he could bring me back a gift.
Friend: “What would you like me to get you?”
Me: “Hmmm, a pencil box.”
Friend: “What???”
Me: “I don’t have a pencil box.”
Friend: “How about something else? Tell me what you want and I can get it. A piece of jewelry? A necklace, pair of earrings. Pick something. I think I can get a better deal there than in the US.”
Me: “A pencil box is okay.”
My friend looked frustrated. He argued for something bigger, better, bolder. But I only asked for a box. He advocated for the ornate. I settled for the ordinary. After he stomped off, I realize the significance of our conversation. My friend placed a greater value on me than I placed on myself. My Hopkins friend thought I was worth jewelry while I picked…..junk. I saw the pencil box as sufficient, but he had a higher valuation and welcomed my voice of choice.
In Mark 14, we find the woman at Bethany whom Jesus meets at Simon’s house. This is a woman of disrepute who struggles with worth and being welcomed in her community. Jesus however is very sure of the grace He gifts her.
- When we are unsure of our worth, Jesus gives us value.
- When we are are unsure of our welcome, Jesus gives us a voice.
Jesus placed a significant value over the woman who came to anoint Him. He confirmed her worth in three ways:
- Jesus welcomed her presence. No one wanted her in that house and the scandal that followed her inside.
- Jesus welcomed her present. No one appreciated her gift and what it costed her to bring it.
- Jesus welcomed her past. No one understood the depth of her pain and how it brought her there.
Jesus accepted all that she brought and breathed value into the places in her life that seemed worthless to the world. Where she wasn’t sure she would be welcomed, Jesus acknowledged her courage and gifted her with a voice that has outlasted her lifetime: “Wherever the Good News is preached, the woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.” (Mark 14;9)
The woman at Bethany did not comprehend her value before she came to see Jesus. Sometimes, we don’t either. We settle for less because we don’t think we deserve more. But Jesus, the King of Kings, argues you and I are worth a sapphire, emerald, or diamond. We are worth jewelry to Him. Jesus advocates we are worth coming for, worth claiming for, and worth redeeming for.