Good Morning Friends,
“While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of a
man known as Simon the Leper, 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.
When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. ‘Why this waste?’ they asked.
‘This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the
poor.’ Aware of this, Jesus said to them, ‘Why are you bothering this woman? She
has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but
you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did
it to prepare me for burial. I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is
preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory
of her.’” (Matthew 26:6-13)
What the woman in this story did for Jesus was
extravagant. The perfume could have been sold for a year’s wages (John 12:5).
Now that’s expensive perfume! Like the disciples, I, too would struggle with
the waste of pouring out perfume that expensive all at once. Actually, I would
struggle to ever buy such perfume for any reason, as I think most of us would.
But I wonder, do I ever do anything extravagant
for Jesus? Do I ever do anything to express my love for Him that costs so much
it seems unreasonable. Maybe it costs me so much money -- maybe so much effort
--maybe so much time -- or so much of anything. If I never do anything that
shows extravagance in the way I express my love for Jesus, is it because I really
don’t think He is worth it? Or am I just cheap?
Mary did something extravagant for Jesus and it
touched His heart deeply. He told His disciples that what she did would be
preached all over the world. And it has been! It was included in Mathew’s
Gospel and John’s too. Jesus was touched by her extravagance.
I just wonder why I hold back! How about you?
His, by Grace, Steve
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