In last Sunday's worship service, Kristal read a story from scripture
where the woman Mary anointed Jesus' feet with costly oil of nard and then
wiped his feet with her hair. Judas
chastised Mary for the waste of money on the perfumed oil and Jesus defended
her actions.
So, what's the big deal with nard?
Wikipedia informs us that "nard", also known as nardin and
muskroot, is the short-form for spikenard. Nard is an aromatic, amber-coloured essential
oil extracted from a flowering plant of the valerian family (a relative of
lavender). It grows in the Himalayan
regions of Nepal, China and India. The
oil has been used over centuries as a perfume, as a traditional medicine and in
religious ceremonies from India to Europe.
For the well-to-do, nard was frequently used to perfume bodies prior to
burial or cremation.
From this brief background, we can begin to understand its rarity and
expensiveness in Mary's time. The
flowering plant that produces spikenard is found in a remote region of the
world and grows only in altitudes between 9,800 - 16,400 feet. The rhizomes (underground stems) of the pant
are crushed and distilled to make the intensely aromatic oil, which would then
be used to make perfume.
In ancient times, nard was used as incense the Jerusalem Temple. Mary's use of the nard to anoint Jesus' feet
was truly a sacrificial gift of love and devotion. It would have been difficult for her obtain,
let alone afford, if our understanding of Mary's social situation is accurate.
Interestingly, nard was a favourite of King Henry VIII, who was known to
use it to flavour his food and drink, and who wore it as a body perfume. He gave it as a gift to his queens.
Now you know.
