Our Sacrifice Of Worship - God's Desire

In this day it was custom to anoint the head of important guests, but Mary’s actions were above and beyond. Using this perfume was an incredible sacrifice on her part and we can see in the following verses that the people around table were not too happy with what she had done. Continuing on in verse 8 and 9:

8 When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. 9 “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.”

There are always critiques. There were in Jesus’ day and there are now. This woman greatly sacrificed a prized possession – an asset she could have sold off for a large amount of money to help her have a comfortable life in her old age. She sacrificed this to her Messiah, having full faith and trust in Him that He would care for her needs. Yet, she was rebuked right there in the house, right after she did it, by Jesus’ disciples nonetheless. It states in Mark that they scolded her, like a parent scolding a child. She must have been devastated.

Have you been criticized for sacrificing for Christ? Have you greatly given of your time, resources and money to His kingdom purposes, yet only to receive a “scolding” from family members, friends, co-workers and/or classmates? Have you even been criticized for the way in which you worship? Even by fellow believers?

I am sure many have been criticized throughout history for their zeal in their worship of the Lord. One person I know of is King David. Turn with me to 2 Samuel 6:14:

14 David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might, 15 while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets.

16 As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart.

17 They brought the ark of the LORD and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the LORD. 18 After he had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD Almighty. 19 Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women. And all the people went to their homes.

20 When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!”

21 David said to Michal, “It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the LORD. 22 I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.”