“a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.” Matthew 26:7 NIV
Does someone you know wear a particular fragrance, and whenever you smell it, the scent alone immediately brings them to mind? Or perhaps someone who has long been gone wore a certain fragrance, and when you catch a whiff of it today, memories come flooding back, evoking tears. Or maybe you applied a special perfume when you were younger that elicits fond memories when you wear it now. Mine was Cinnabar by Estee Lauder. It is characterized by notes of clove, jasmine, orange flower, and patchouli. Someone recently gifted me with an essential oil that is reminiscent of the fragrance of Cinnabar. When I roll it on, I am transported back to the early 1980s when I was a young adult. Ahhh, the power of the olfactory system!
Unlike other senses, olfactory signals pass directly to the primary olfactory cortex without traveling through the thalamus, the brain’s usual “sorting center,” first. Different from the other senses, smell has a direct connection to the brain’s limbic system, specifically the amygdala and hippocampus, which control emotion and memory.
The perfume (spikenard or nard) poured on Jesus by Mary of Bethany was extremely concentrated and costly, allowing its aroma to endure over a long period of time. Spikenard has a very pungent, heavy, and complex scent that is primarily earthy, woody, and musky, similar to patchouli. Not only did it fill the room where Jesus and His disciples were, it is believed to have lingered on Him throughout the final week of His life. Because a full pint was used, the strong aroma likely stayed on His clothes and skin throughout the Last Supper and His trial and crucifixion.
John smelled it when he laid his head on Christ’s chest. Judas inhaled it when he betrayed Jesus with a kiss. Those who gambled for His garments, pressed a crown of thorns into His skull, and scourged Him with whips, could all likewise smell the fragrance. Pilate detected it as he passed judgment. Perhaps, even the thieves who hung on adjacent crosses caught a whiff of it as well. How that expensive, rare scent must have stood out and made a lasting impression on all those who were in His presence that week!
Most importantly, Jesus smelled the nard all week long. Undoubtedly, the aroma enabled Him to endure the physical and emotional pain of betrayal, torture, and crucifixion. The aroma reminded Him of the love and devotion poured out on Him by Mary, the woman with the alabaster jar.
The aromatic components of nard can cross the blood-brain barrier. The molecules can be absorbed into the bloodstream via inhalation, pass directly into brain tissue, and can increase oxygen levels in the brain by up to 28 percent. They can interact with the central nervous system, potentially offering benefits for anxiety, tremors, migraines, and depression.
I have always marveled at Christ’s power to endure the cross. And now I am awed with the gift that Mary gave Jesus, not just her costly worship in the breaking of the alabaster box, but the gift of spikenard that “kept on giving” throughout the following week!
The physical presence of Jesus has been gone from this earth for over 2000 years, but His fragrance lingers still. Others can smell it through us — His disciples. Just like Jesus, our words and works will be a life-giving aroma to some and will reek like death to others.
“For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task?” 2 Corinthians 2:15 -16 NIV
Prayer: Father, may our very presence evoke the scent of Christ to all those around us.
~ Janet Mueller, writer
~ Stacia Alexander, visual artist
