Penny and Perfume
The penny and perfume that are written about here are included in the stories of two women recorded in the gospel of Mark. Brian explains.
The Poor Widow and her Penny
In Mark 12:41-44 we read,
“And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, ‘Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.’”
Mark 12:41-44
This lady is not only a widow but a poor widow. Her two little coins are worth only 1/400th of a shekel or about 1/8th of a cent. But in her poverty, she is a generous giver. Lacking generosity is a disease that someone has called “Cirrhosis of the Giver”. Here is the diagnosis: “It is an acute condition that renders the patient’s hand frozen when it attempts to move from the wallet to the offering plate.”
The Perfume
Here is the story of the 2nd woman:
“While (Jesus) was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. There were some who said to themselves indignantly, ‘Why was the ointment wasted like that? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.’ And they scolded her. But Jesus said, ‘Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.’”
Mark 14:3-9
Judas Calculates Poorly
Mary’s gift to Jesus is worth a year’s wages. Judas criticizes the woman. You can just picture Judas calculating the waste of money. Judas knows the price of everything but the true value of nothing. He has his calculator in his hand and his laptop loaded up to that day’s stock price on perfume: He estimates this is about $60,000 being poured almost literally down the drain. Judas leaves the room and goes directly to the men who will pay him 30 pieces of silver to betray Jesus: That’s about $250 in today’s money.
Barbara’s Son
R. Kent Hughes tells a family story that fits right in here:
“Years ago, when my son Kent was a little boy, my wife Barbara won a beautiful cardboard decorator recipe box. It was very unusual, a conversation piece. She used it to organize a drawer full of loose recipes. Our little boy watched her do this and knew the box was very special to her. When Barbara returned home one day, she saw that the box was missing and was ready to call out, ‘Where’s my box?’ when she saw Kent. His eyes were wide, and she could see he was holding something behind his back, dripping water. She knew what it was, and though her heart sank, she smiled.
He said, ‘Mom, I have a birthday present for you,’ and he presented her with her wet recipe box, saying, ‘Mom, I knew you liked the box.’ Kent had thrown the recipes in the trash – and the garbage had been picked up that day! Then he had ‘washed’ the box, scraping off the handmade decorations and lining the box with shiny tin foil. When she opened it, this is what she found: a nickel, a black plastic alligator, and a picture of Kent. My wife still has that box, and it is one of her most treasured possessions. Why? Because the reason for the gift was pure, innocent love.
R. Kent Hughes
What is in Jesus’ Treasure Box?
Like that box with a 5-cent coin, plastic creature and a little boy’s picture, Jesus’ treasure box holds some strange and interesting items: A widow’s pennies. Cups of cold water. Broken perfume boxes. Pieces of roofing. Palm branches. Five buns and two small fish. Even little children like Kent Hughes. Or me. Or you – even if you are not so little.
Do you have a personal story like either the penny or the perfume? Contact us at HopeStreamRadio, or comment below.
Brian Stapley
Brian Stapley is the husband of Margaret and “Christian-proud” father of Tabitha, Ben, Jeremy and Joel. He has been director of the Boys JIM Club of America since 1981 and a “JIM Clubber” since 1958, the year he became a Christian. The mission statement of the JIM Club is, “Discipling boys to love Jesus deeply and express him vividly.”
He has been an educator since 1970, primarily as a high school English Teacher. (Don’t dangle your participles.) He has been in fellowship at Scottlea Gospel Chapel, St. Catharines, since 1976 and travels to preach about three dozen times a year, in Ontario and New York State. He is a ventriloquist, in company with Casey, Theodore, Dodo, Grumpa, and a menagerie of others. Also, a bit of a magician.
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Images Courtesy of:
Perfume – Mohammad Rasheed
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