The Ministry of Perfume

Now, I know that this sounds wierd but I'm studying the Gospel of John in my Master's class John and His Writings...(thus John)...and we are reading through John chapter 12, where Mary Magdelene pours the expensive perfume on the feet of Jesus, and wipes His feet with her hair...two observations...

1. The bottle of perfume literally cost a years' wages (mentioned later in verse 5)
2. It was such a ministry to Jesus.

Now, I know this sounds a little wierd here because first why would perfume be a ministry, especially to Jesus the Son of God? and, what was the importance of the perfume being worth so much?

If you think about it for a second...this shows us how much of a human Jesus Christ really was in a way...here's what I mean...sometimes we get caught up in looking at Jesus as "The Son of God" which He is, no mistake about it, but we get caught up in the aura of that, then we lose sight of just how much a human He was...He was fully God and fully man, and this little act of kindness from Mary means so much to Jesus because He's a person with real feelings and to know that she was so close with Him meant so much to Him.

The other thing is that the perfume was literally worth 300 denari (spelling?) which was a years' wages but we have to realize something about Mary, this was the only thing she could offer to Jesus that was worth everything to her...she didn't have very much and she didn't settle for giving Him little things as offerings...she gave him all she was worth in that perfume, He was going to lay everything down for her, so she did the same on Him...

One last thought...Mary was at His feet with the perfume...and at the foot of the cross with Jesus at His death...coincidence? I DON'T THINK SO--GRACE AND PEACE.