The Value of a Vow

One of the events that took place two days before Jesus was betrayed was the anointing at Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, Matthew 26:6 – 13. Jesus had told His disciples again that, “…the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.” And just as before, the disciples were not willing to receive this word from Jesus. We do not know anything about Simon the leper except that he invited Jesus to his home on the eve of Passover. This will be the last meal, according to the Scripture, before the Passover meal that Jesus had with His disciples in the upper room. It is also the occasion for a powerful teaching from the Lord on worship.

During the meal, it says that a woman came up behind Jesus “…with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table.” The container, an alabaster flask, was as valuable as the contents. This item refers to a special gift kept and handed down by relatives as a wedding gift. The content was myrrh, which was used as an embalming ointment. It was given at the wedding as both a symbol of the couple’s lifelong commitment to each other, and as the substance that would one day be used for the burial of the spouse. This was an extravagant gesture, to say the least!

Some will say that the woman did not know the full meaning of what she was doing until Jesus gave meaning to it by saying, “In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial.” 26:12. But others will say that, unlike the disciples, she did believe what Jesus had been saying about His crucifixion, death, and resurrection, and was expressing her belief with this extravagant act. Either way, Jesus commended her for it and the disciples were indignant over it.

The word “indignant” is the Greek word, aga-nok-tais, and has the meaning of a strong opposition and displeasure against someone or something judged to be wrong. The disciples viewed what she did, and possibly her, as wrong. They wondered why she wasted the expensive item. The word “wasted” is the Greek word, apo-lia, and has the meaning of something being destroyed without purpose. Their reasoning was that it could have been sold and the money given to the poor, which they judged as the right thing to do.

But Jesus corrected them by saying, “…she has done a beautiful thing to me.” The word “beautiful” is the Greek word kalos, which means to be intrinsically good, which would be the exact opposite of aga-nok-tais. He also said that they would always have the opportunity to help the poor, but had missed the opportunity that this woman took. She was expressing the extreme value of the relationship she had with Jesus and in what He was about to do. She may not have understood it fully, but who does. She just knew that He was good and so whatever He was about to do would also be good. She also knew that she had something of extreme value to give to Jesus that communicated His value in her life. The question is, have you?

The psalmist cried out, “What shall I render to the LORD for all his benefits to me?” Then he (or she) answers the question, “I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD, I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.” Psalm 116:12 – 14. Jesus understood what this woman did as an act of worship, just as Psalm 116 describes.

Today, meditate on what it means to make the promise of lifting up the cup of salvation and calling on the name of the Lord, and how valuable a vow is to God. As you do, then make this vow to the Lord, and call upon Him to do it, in you, with you, through you, as you, before the Father and the watching world around you. This is a beautiful thing to God. It pleases Him. This is what it means to worship the Father in spirit and truth.