John 12:3-8
Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him, Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein. Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this. For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.

Some things are limited time only. Mary seemed to have this spiritual understanding that maybe others did not at the time. Jesus’ time on earth was short. His time physically present with His disciples was drawing to an end. There wasn’t much longer to be in His presence, to sit at His feet, to honor Him and worship Him with an act of sacrifice and reverence.

There is Lazarus, sitting down to have a meal with Jesus after his journey to the grave and back. There is Martha in her usual role serving her guests. There is Mary with an act of love and devotion to her Lord, giving her most precious possession to bless Jesus while she still could. There are the disciples scoffing and criticizing. And there is Jesus coming to Mary’s defense, commending her for this deed, and offering another teaching moment to all who would hear.

Jesus’ time was at hand. Within days He would be arrested and unjustly tried, scourged, beaten, and nailed to a cross. He would be laid in a tomb. He would rise again. He would walk the earth for a short time in that state and then ascend to heaven. This man they’d walked with, eaten with, talked with. They saw His miracles. They heard His teaching. They served Him and served alongside Him. They did as He asked. They participated in this ministry and this relationship, and all of that was going to change.

Now we hasten, because the time is yet short. It’s not that we wait for Jesus to depart from us, but we look for His soon return. And the matter at hand is urgent. Our own lives are short. The time we have to give to our Lord here is limited. And what will we do with it? How will we spend it? What will we give to Jesus while we still can?