Wednesday Peace with AChuck.
On this Wednesday, following Palm Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, Jesus was still and with His guys. He must have been humanly exhausted from a Tuesday of teaching in the temple, amidst a crowd of religious leaders launching barrage after barrage of attacks to discredit Him. And yet, He stood firm. Now, on Wednesday, Jesus is hanging out with His Disciples in the home of Simon in the small hamlet of Bethany. On that Wednesday, Jesus stayed out of the public eye.
In Simon’s home, during their meal together, Mary, Lazarus’ sister, came to Jesus with an alabaster flask of perfume. She had been saving this perfume, worth a year’s wages, to perform this very act.
She began to pour the perfume on Jesus’ head and feet, which required breaking open its container. Like popping the cork on a $20,000 bottle of champagne, Mary intentionally and lovingly offered Jesus everything she had.
The disciples reacted like guys often do. They considered the value of her perfume and regarded her actions as though she might as well have been burning a year’s wages.
They dressed their religious concerns up in words of concern for the poor: As in, what about the poor people who might have benefited from the sale of this perfume.
But this wasn’t how her actions were received by Jesus. He speaks up and said that what she was doing was a very good thing.
What Mary did that day was beautiful and Jesus wanted everyone to know it. She was preparing Him for burial. There was honor and kindness in her gesture. He returned the honor by saying history would never forget her act of beauty. And we haven’t.
How about that? How awesome would it be for Jesus to say of you that all of history, wherever the gospel is spoken of, there will be a memorial to you?
You say, Chuck! I’d like that to be said about me! Then watch this.
Mary acted:
- Specifically as she made Jesus the center of her universe.
- Generously as she gave sacrificially.
- Graciously as she served.
That’s the key to greatness. Jesus, on this Wednesday before His death, burial and resurrection, made a point that we are to follow in His steps…Specifically, Generously and Graciously.
Now you know the keys to greatness Are you ready?
–AChuck