I would guess that Mary has not planned to break open her perfume jar that evening. She may be saving it for her wedding night or as financial security for her future. I suspect her decision is one of those spontaneous things we do because we couldn’t live with ourselves if we did anything else.

But this is Jesus—the one who raised her brother, Lazarus, from the grave. Since then, opposition to Jesus has been building. She instinctively knows that sooner rather than later, Jesus will end up in a tomb too. This might be her last opportunity to express her gratitude and love.

Without weighing the consequences, she breaks open the jar, empties the perfume onto Jesus’ feet, and wipes his feet with her hair.

Judas asks why the perfume isn’t sold and the money given to the poor. Mark’s version of this story indicates that all the disciples are angry. None of them can understand why Mary squanders her most precious possession in this spendthrift way.

But Jesus understands. He knows that she knows the end is near. In Mark’s version, Jesus says, “She has done what she could” (Mark 14:8). He receives her gift as a beautiful act of selfless gratitude for the self-giving love of God that will be revealed at the cross. It is all she can do.

Sometimes the only reasonable way to confront the unreasonable evil, pain, and suffering of our world is to do whatever we can with whatever we have in our hands. The only way to respond to the costly love of God at the cross is to offer our own act of costly love. Sometimes it’s all we can do.