Monday, March 14, 2016
Mark 14:3-5 And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head. But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, "Why was this fragrant oil wasted? For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor." And they criticized her sharply.
ONLY JESUS IS WORTH THAT MUCH
It happens occasionally during the Christmas season or on a birthday that someone gives you a gift and upon opening it you say: "Oh, you shouldn't have. You've really overdone it this time. This is too much."
But a gift is something freely given by someone else. If it were deserved or earned it would be called payment. A gift depends on someone else's love, kindness, and generosity. A gift is not what you think they should give, for a gift is the giver's to give.
In the home of Simon the Leper Jesus received a very expensive gift. It was a bottle of fragrant and expensive oil valued in excess of 300 denarii (a denarius was the payment for a day's work--you do the math)! On at least two different occasions during His earthly ministry Jesus praised someone's gift. He praised a widow in the temple because she gave a mite into the treasury, a fraction of a penny, a tiny amount. He also praised this woman's gift, perhaps over $20,000 in our currency.
What in the world do those gifts have in common?
They were both given in faith. The widow gave the last of her money in faith, trusting that God would continue to provide for her-- only God is worth that much. This woman also gave her gift in faith, an expression of love for Jesus. Only Jesus is worth that much.
Whatever you give, let it be given in faith. Let it be done not to keep up with the Joneses or any other fleshly reason. Let all giving, whether it is time, talents, or money be given that Jesus might be glorified-- because only Jesus is worth that much.
Why is only Jesus worth that much?
Only Jesus was willing to give up everything so that we might be blessed eternally.
Only Jesus could offer the sacrifice to make us right with God today, tomorrow, and forever.
Only Jesus could rise again from death to assure us of eternal blessing.
