Don't just smell the fragrance be a carrier of the fragrance

John 12v3: Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.

This Bible verse depicted something spectacular. There were many people in the room who smelled the fragrance of the sweet perfume poured out, but only 2 carried the fragrance of perfume. If we quantify this experience in terms of its percentage we would see that the percentage of the participants should be greater than 95%, while the remaining 5% is for the partakers. 

There are several angle to the anchor verse, but the focus of this post is on sustainability. From the verse we can observe two categories of the people represented. One is those who smelled the perfume who I liken to those who are short term oriented. They only smell good as long as they are within the vicinity of the carrier. Take them away from the carrier of the fragrance it is a matter of time before their real smell comes out. This set of people can also be likened to those represented in the Bible as hearers only (James 1v22). 

The second category is the carrier, those who carry the fragrance of the oil. Who I liken to those who are more long-term oriented. They can go everywhere but the fragrance goes with them everywhere they go. They're a blessing everywhere they go. 

Now Mary did something amiable. Despite offering a very great gift to commemorate Jesus's lordship as both son of man and son of God, she could have easily fallen into the first category of those who smelled the fragrance. However, she was filled with spiritual intelligence to use her accumulated glory for His glory. The hair is known to symbolize glory she didn't only sacrifice her most priciest possession, but she cast down her crown at the feet of the Saviour by using her hair (glory) to glorify the King of glory. For no other glories beats that of the King of glory Who is also known to dwell in Shekinah glory. Her action made her the second beneficiary of the fragrance of her sacrifice. So no matter where this Bible verse is read, as the fragrance smells on Jesus, it also smells on Mary's record till eternity. That's why Jesus told Martha that Mary had chosen something that'll not be taken away from her Luke 10v39 to 42. 

In closing, I say it is good to smell the fragrance of God's glory, but it is more powerful to be a carrier of the fragrance of His glory. As long as you're seated at His anointed feet sacrificing your time to learn and do His will you'll by no means be a carrier of His fragrance. 

Shalom aleichem brethren

Babasile Daniel I