Mark 14:1-9 Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him. “But not during the Feast,” they said, “or the people may riot.” While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly. “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”
We know the life of Jesus Christ has been breathed on, inspired by, the Holy Spirit. In today's passage, we see a woman led by the Holy Spirit to anoint Jesus' body before his imminent death and subsequent burial. Throughout the New Testament, the Holy Spirit used people to help explain the love of God revealed through his Son's mission on Earth. We see Jesus extending salvation to even the worst of sinners, a cheating tax collector, when He says, Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today. (Luke 19:5) In another passage we see the owner of a colt fulfilling a prophecy made hundreds of years before by readily giving his animal to the disciples simply because they spoke Jesus' words to the man. Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” They replied, “The Lord needs it." (Luke 19:30-34) In John 4:7, we see a woman of Samaria placed in the way of Jesus' journey so that the Holy Spirit could expand the message of God's redeeming love to all people of the world, even to the despised people of Samaria: When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?" He goes on to offer her living water. In today's passage we see the Spirit use a woman's love and dedication to Jesus as a challenge to all Christians to have the same passion and love for Jesus. When John tells us this about Mary: Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. (John 12:1-3) Does the fragrance of our love for Jesus fill the room when we enter.
How easy it is in this world of things and activities to forget to serve Jesus in the same manner as the woman above who sat at the feet of Jesus. Paul had this zeal to know and to serve Jesus, Lord of his life: But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ — the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:7-11) In today's passage we see this woman pour expensive nard on Jesus' body. Some say the cost of this perfume was equal to 300 days of wages. Yet, Mary considered it loss for the sake of blessing and glorifying Jesus. Nothing was too good for Jesus. This spirit of love and devotion to Jesus has to be an integral part of every Christian's life. Nothing is too costly or too good for Jesus--not our goods, our time, our everything. We who are 2000 years removed from that time still must have that kind of zeal and devotion for Jesus. Without such love and commitment we tend to become lukewarm, and we know through scripture that God will not accept a lukewarm dedication, for we read in Revelation that the Spirit spoke harsh words to the church at Laodicea: So, because you are lukewarm — neither hot nor cold — I am about to spit you out of my mouth. (Revelation 3:16)
We can easily read or quote the first commandment Jesus spoke to his disciples, Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. (Matthew 22:37) But how often do we stop to think how the "all" translates in our minds and our lives. Are we so consumed by the concerns of the world and the allurements of the world that we put God on a shelf someplace in our minds until we need him in an emergency or decide to give him some of our time, such as on Sunday morning? Is He merely a comfortable idea to us, One who might exist, but we are not sure? Or is He a God we serve for our own benefit? Do we serve him to give or get? Are we serving him to live better in some material way or as servants in his kingdom? Is He our means to get rich or even have a happier life in the present or have we been crucified with Christ to become fishers of men? Are we serving the Lord for us or for him? Mary was serving Jesus for his sake, not for hers. Cultish thinking makes a person seek God for his or her own betterment: for me, myself, and I. People from cults come to our doors not for our sakes, but for their sake. By coming to your door they earn a better place in heaven or they even earn heaven itself. This is not what Mary did. She served Jesus out of a strong devotion towards him. SHE LOVED HIM! PAUL LOVED HIM! PETER LOVED HIM! THEY ALL DIED FOR HIM. Are our minds in today's Christianity in the right place? Are we serving him to spread the Good News because we have found the true lover of our souls or are we fixated on ourselves: our prosperity, our wellbeing, our peace of mind? Today, as you read this, at this very moment, people are being killed, persecuted, raped for the cause of Christ. They are literally experiencing giving their "all." Are we willing to experience the same? This is a strong call, but each of us must be ready to give an unequivocal yes to the Master's call, for the enemy will tempt us with many false gods in this materialistic world. Bless you today as you choose life and love in Christ while you sit at his feet and learn of him!
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