The final Temple cleansing is different from the first. Jesus' words are harsher; He concludes later on by saying the Temple would be destroyed, not a stone on top of another (Mark 13)… just like a corrupted house in Leviticus. In its place a new Temple of God's Spirit is built: the Church.
“As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 2:4-5
After this expression of His priestly authority, Jesus makes His way to the evening meal, where Mary anoints Him with precious oil. Here is what I shared about this on Instagram:
"Mary’s offering of oil, poured out on Jesus’ head and feet, was worth 300 denarii. A denarius was a day’s wages, meaning that Mary’s offering was the equivalent to almost an entire years’ salary. Many scholars believe this alabaster jar of perfume was her dowry.
On Holy Monday we remember many events of Jesus’ life: the Temple cleansing, the cursing of the fig tree, but perhaps most of all… Mary’s offering. If the oil was Mary’s dowry, she didn’t just pour perfume on Jesus. She poured out her future."
Exodus 40:12-15 describes the process of anointing a high priest:
"Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting and wash them with water. Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments, anoint him and consecrate him so he may serve me as priest. Bring his sons and dress them in tunics. Anoint them just as you anointed their father, so they may serve me as priests. Their anointing will be to a priesthood that will continue throughout their generations.”
We usually assume Mary was anointing Jesus for burial, and that may be true. But what if her anointing was actually, or additionally, a fulfillment of Christ's high priestly role – as expressed in the Temple cleansing? I'm no academic and this is just speculation. But the parallels between the priestly duties (purification of the corrupt house) and the priestly anointing (consecration for eternal priesthood) are there.
Regardless of whether Jesus was anointed by Mary for burial or as a symbol of His fulfillment of the high priestly role, one thing stands out to me: He was anointed by a woman. I've overlooked this fact due to my familiarity with the story. I usually focus on the cost of the perfume, like the disciples did. I miss the beauty of a Savior who allowed a woman to anoint Him for the task ahead. A woman who probably didn't know why she was doing it… she just knew that she loved Him. And that was enough.
What a Savior we serve! Mary's love for Him was honored and seen. And for Mary, the cost of the perfume - likely her life savings or dowry or both - was nothing compared to the presence of her Lord. The Priest of Priests.
Holy Week serves to remind us of many things, but this account reminds me of the infinite value and importance of the Old Testament, the attentive love of our Savior, and an important truth: no matter what things I depend on for security, Christ is always more.
