By Bev Bentley Wilson
Oh, how we love fragrance… Perfume, Cologne, Bath oils, Body sprays…They are in almost every store. There are expensive perfumes and there are knock-offs for those who can’t afford the “good stuff”. We even buy candles, oils and sprays to make our homes smell good. It is believed that the most expensive perfume in the world today is called “Clive Christian No 1” and it sells for about $1820 per ounce.
Prior to Jesus’s death on the cross, there was some very expensive perfume used for a very different purpose. There was a spe- cial dinner prepared in honor of Jesus at the home of Lazarus, a man that he had just raised from the dead. Martha, Lazarus’s sister was serving the dinner, and Mary, his other sister was there as well.
As Martha served dinner, Mary took a jar (about 12 ounces) of very expensive perfume and poured it over the feet of Jesus. This perfume was worth 300 pence, which amounted to a year’s wages. The average yearly wage in the United States is now a bit over $50,000. The most expensive perfume sold is priced at $18,840 for 12 ounces. Mary anointed Jesus feet with almost three times as costly a perfume as the most expensive perfume available to us.
Can any of us imagine spending $50,000 for a bottle of perfume? If we…
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