Is it wise to use a product that is worth a year's wages on a one-time act that only gives comfort and demonstrates devotion?
"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 12:3.
A LITTLE BACKGROUND
Mary came into the house with a gift for Jesus; it was a costly treasure, that when given is used up and can't be used again, once given it couldn't be undone. Judas called Mary's giving and sacrifice a waste, he criticized the act saying there were better ways to use the gift, that it could have been sold and the money distributed to the needy, but Jesus said. "Leave her alone she has done a beautiful thing." Mark 14:6.
There will always be those who criticize our good actions; they may have good motives or like Judas, who stole from the money bag, have impure motives.
JESUS REACTION
The remarkable thing in the event was Jesus reaction to it. He endorsed Mary's act of charity. Jesus did not look at the bottom line or some matrix of resources versus need; instead, he looked at the heart of the giver. What she did was done out of love and devotion to him and he praised her for it- a praise recorded for all time and speaks to us twenty-one centuries later.
THE OPPORTUNITY
Few of us will ever have the opportunity to give a year's wages to the Lord, Mary did and there is no record of her having any regrets about it. If anyone had regrets in the incident it would have been Judas for having been rebuked by the Lord.
The opportunity to anoint Jesus' feet is not present today but there are other opportunities to use our resources for the Lord.
WISDOM
For Mary, it was an act of devotion and worship, an expression of a humble love that asks for nothing in return. It may seem unwise to use your money or resources on something that is only an act of devotion but to the follower of Jesus if the praise of our Lord counts for anything then there is no wiser use of money or resources.
A LITTLE BACKGROUND
Mary came into the house with a gift for Jesus; it was a costly treasure, that when given is used up and can't be used again, once given it couldn't be undone. Judas called Mary's giving and sacrifice a waste, he criticized the act saying there were better ways to use the gift, that it could have been sold and the money distributed to the needy, but Jesus said. "Leave her alone she has done a beautiful thing." Mark 14:6.
There will always be those who criticize our good actions; they may have good motives or like Judas, who stole from the money bag, have impure motives.
JESUS REACTION
The remarkable thing in the event was Jesus reaction to it. He endorsed Mary's act of charity. Jesus did not look at the bottom line or some matrix of resources versus need; instead, he looked at the heart of the giver. What she did was done out of love and devotion to him and he praised her for it- a praise recorded for all time and speaks to us twenty-one centuries later.
THE OPPORTUNITY
Few of us will ever have the opportunity to give a year's wages to the Lord, Mary did and there is no record of her having any regrets about it. If anyone had regrets in the incident it would have been Judas for having been rebuked by the Lord.
The opportunity to anoint Jesus' feet is not present today but there are other opportunities to use our resources for the Lord.
WISDOM
For Mary, it was an act of devotion and worship, an expression of a humble love that asks for nothing in return. It may seem unwise to use your money or resources on something that is only an act of devotion but to the follower of Jesus if the praise of our Lord counts for anything then there is no wiser use of money or resources.
(c) Adron 4/18/15
