SCRIPTURE: Mark 14
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
“Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. [Mark 14:6]
These last hours of Jesus must have been horrible for Him.
He is preparing for death, and He knows it will not be easy – His passionate prayer in the garden makes that clear.
He knows that His followers will fail Him – Judas will betray Him, Peter will deny Him, the others will run away from Him.
He will be falsely accused by the religious leaders who ought to support Him.
He will be mocked, abused, scourged, crucified – excruciating suffering.
In the midst of all this, Jesus points out a beautiful thing.
What the woman does with the perfume is beautiful, Jesus is honoured and loved.
Somehow this woman understands, appreciates Who Jesus is and what He represents.
Jesus says that her offering will be remembered (and ought to be) wherever the message about Him is shared.
Its not that Jesus does not care about the poor (in fact we have demonstrated less concern for the poor that have always been with us than Jesus did).
But her fragrant sacrifice demonstrates love, gratitude, wonder, the kind of response we all ought to have because of Jesus.
Sadly, many do not appreciate the glory and the gory of Jesus – the amazing nature of Who He is, and the awful nature of what He endured.
Somehow we need to appreciate more the full extent of His love, and then offer ourselves and our lives to highlight it.
We are like fragrant offerings to Jesus, something beautiful for the Lord, when we draw attention to Jesus and His love by our words and actions.
Its not enough to appreciate it for ourselves, we need to reveal it to others.
I do sense that the movie, the Passion (directed by Mel Gibson) is an example of something beautiful for God.
By attempting to portray the glory and the gory, we are led to response – one way or another.
I also sense that Mother Theresa, in the way she cared for the dying, was an example of something beautiful for God.
She drew attention to those whom Jesus loved, whom Jesus died for.
And she offered herself for Him, and for them, as a fragrant offering in a not-so fragrant place.
As we reflect on the suffering love of Jesus, may we be motivated to devote ourselves to drawing attention to Jesus, in all His gory and glory!
PRAYER:
Lord, I cannot fathom the full extent of Your love… but help me to appreciate it more. And help me share this with others!
The woman anointed Jesus showing her love for Him and in a sense giving her all – loving Him with all her heart.
When Jesus was brought before the religious rulers, Peter stood off in a distance – the start of his denial already. But even before, when in the garden, those disciples with Him could not even stay awake while Christ prayed. We need to be ready at all times to give Him our all just as the woman did.
Or am I too, ashamed of the gospel to stand up for Jesus?
Stand up, stand up for Jesus! ye soldiers of the cross;
Lift high His royal banner, it must not suffer loss:
From vict’ry unto vict’ry, His army shall He lead,
Till every foe is vanquished, and Christ is Lord indeed.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus! The trumpet call obey:
Forth to the mighty conflict, in this His glorious day;
Ye that are men now serve Him against unnumbered foes;
Let courage rise with danger, and strength to strength oppose.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus! Stand in His strength alone,
The arm of flesh will fail you, ye dare not trust your own;
Put on the gospel armor, and watching unto prayer,
Where calls the voice of duty, be never wanting there.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus! the strife will not be long;
This day the noise of battle, the next the victor’s song;
To him that overcometh a crown of life shall be;
He with the King of glory shall reign eternally.