A Memorial Day Moment

Once there were three old sisters who lived together. One sister got up to go to bed and half way up the stairs she stopped and asked, "Was I going up or was I coming down?"

One sister replied with a hint of aggravation, "You were going up to bed."

A second sister headed into the kitchen to make herself a sandwich. Once in the kitchen she hollered back to her sister who was still down stairs, "What did I come in here for?"

The sister responded again but this time a little more annoyed than the last, "You went in to make yourself a sandwich!”

"I’m so glad I am not as forgetful as the both of you are," she said as she knocked on the wood of the end table.

Then she got up, walked over to the door, and said "Who is it?"

Many times we forget to remember don’t we?

In 3 of the Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and John we find a special Memorial Day moment. It involves a lady by the name of Mary who came to pay a special tribute to the Lord. Her adoration touched Jesus.

Though the disciples underestimated and under-appreciated the act of this woman, Jesus was stirred by her adoration. So touched was our Lord, by her act, that He says in verse 9, “Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.” He declared she will be remembered where-ever the gospel is preached.

I have always been captivated with this story and impressed with the lessons it teaches. The words upon which we want to center our thoughts, however, are in verse 8, "She hath done what she could" or, as the words mean, "She has done what lay in her power."

This word of commendation from our Lord seems

to be the center around which all the teaching of this incident revolves.

I want us to consider the privilege of Christian service and its value in God’s estimate.

I. The Meaning of Christian Service

What do we mean when we, as believers, talk about serving the Lord? Sometimes we get a very limited conception of what really constitutes Christian service.

We often think it means being a preacher, a Sunday School teacher, an Awana worker, and so on; but does Christian service only consist of these?

No! We are all saved to serve (Ephesians 2:10). So our definition of Christian service, against the background of this story, is that Christian service is doing things for Jesus, compare again verses 6 and 8, and notice in verse 6 the words "on Me" and in verse 8 the word "done." There are boundless opportunities open to us all to serve the Lord.

I believe this passage teaches us that anything that done or directed towards Him under the impulse of simple love to Him is Christian service.

The qualifying word in our definition of Christian service is

doing it for Jesus, that is, out of love for Him and in order to bring glory to Him.

Think about Him in what you do and you will be doing a Christian service. Do anything, no matter what, because you love Him, and it will be lifted up into high regions, and become transfigured into “a good work.”

All things are sanctified when they are done for Him.

The opposite is also true. Nothing which is not done out of love for Him deserves the title of “a good work.”

May we learn to do everything as unto the Lord because it is what hallows the action and makes it a Christian service.

All of us can serve when we do what we do as to the Lord.

I Corinthians 10:31

Colossians 3:17 “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.”

II. The Measure of Christian Service

How much are we to do for Him? All our Lord expects is that

we do what lies in our power. This is the meaning of our Lord’s word in verse 8, "She hath done what she could," no more, no less.

What are you doing for Jesus? What is the measure of your service? Are you doing "what you can" and serving Him to the limit of your power?

A little man approached a big man and said, "If I was as big, as strong, and tall as you I would go out there and fight one of those big bears in the woods.

"Well, said the tall man, "there is a bunch a little bears out there in those woods." Are you doing what you can?

Quit looking to see what everyone else is doing and just start doing what you can do.