“Why This Waste?”
The Lavish Love of a Devoted Disciple
Matthew 26:6-13
Mark 14:3-9
John 12:1-8
“Why this waste?”
I have often – practically every time I have read this story – recoiled with the disciples! 300 denarii! Mark indicates that she could have sold it for even more than that! 300 denarii was 65 days (2 months) short of a year’s wages! Who can afford to live on 1/6th of your annual income in order to spill perfume!?
Jesus’ response amazes me: Jesus cares about the poor! He’s been among them! He told the rich man to go and sell all of his possessions, give the money to the poor and follow! Why does He restrain the disciples and defend the liberal extravagance – when it could have been so much more practical?
Does anyone here relate to the disciples? Here’s a prime example of what Jesus values being different from what we would naturally value. And we can stay put and say that Jesus was having a weird moment – which would be the easy and wrong thing to do –
or we can say “Lord, I want to value what You value! Pull me up to Your level and help me understand this!”
How are we going to justify the expense of more than 300 day’s wages in such a lavish and temporary extravagance? Here’s how:
I. Mary showed devotion to a Person, the disciples to a principle
So much of my walk with Christ in recent months has been on principle. I do right because it’s right! I don’t satisfy the cravings of the flesh because it violates the Scriptural principles, which are for my good - even beyond heaven and hell issues. Even if you take heaven and hell out of the equation, the Biblical principles for morality of loving your neighbor will provide you a better, safer, longer life! You just do right because it’s right! It’s a matter of principle! When there are poor starving people around, you don’t pour out $20,000 (a low approximation in today’s equivalence) in one application of perfume!
This is where the disciples were!
But Mary understood that you’ve got to get deeper than the principles! The nature of the principles are to lead you and direct you to the nature of the Person, God Himself! There’s so much more to the Christian life than just trying to “live right!” You live to love God! You live to please Him as a living sacrifice! You live for Him! His principles are given to show you what He values!
The one thing that has revolutionized my devotional life the most was when I started looking at any given passage of Scripture to discern not merely what it states – what I should “do”– but what it implies – what it reveals about the nature of God Himself! It’s good to live by principle! I believe there is saving faith in willingness to live by principle!
But there’s a sweet-spot in the Christian life, just like there’s a sweet-spot on a tennis racquet or a baseball bat. You can hit the ball with any part of the bat or the racquet and it will count! But if that ball connects with that sweet spot, the control and the power of your swing will be exponentially better!
The disciples had found the bat –the principles! But Mary had found the sweet-spot of the Person in a deeper sense than the rest…
Parker’s sermon on revival – it’s beginning to dawn on me that I have been seeking revival for revival’s sake [principle!].
When “revival” comes, conviction sets in,
lives are changed,the community is bettered,
the Church is equipped…
But revival isn’t about any of that! Revival is about PERSONAL HUNGER FOR THE LIVING GOD! And if we’ll quit worrying about “revival” and begin to hunger for the Person of God I think we won’t have to worry about revival! That is revival!
Do you know what the crucified life is about? Gal 2:20 – It’s about living life in the flesh by faith in the Son of God! It’s personal! It’s real! It’s not opposed to principles – but it’s soooo much more than principles! The principles expose the Person! So when you live the self-crucified life for the Person, the principles will take care of themselves!
Mary had found this truth! She found The Truth! She was devoted not to the principles – but to the Sum of all the principles, the Person of Jesus Christ!
All the sudden life is not about how long your sleeves are, what you wear or don’t wear, what you watch or read, or where you go – the rules – it’s about living to know God! And if you know Him, you’ll love Him! And if you love Him – it will make a difference in what you wear, in what you watch, in where you go, in what you read! But you can’t do any of that without devotion or its empty!
The disciples had a good principles of Judaism, they had a better understanding of the Messiah – but Mary had the best devotion to the Person Himself!
So our response is – Lord, I want to be a Mary! But recognize this:
II. Mary’s devotion came at a high price
a. The financial expense –
I gave you a low estimate of the cost of this perfume and alabaster flask – if you get paid $10 an hour and work 8 hours a day and multiply that by 300 days (which is low – remember it could have sold for more than 300 denarii!), then the figure goes up to $24,000!
She could have been an exceedingly liberal giver to the poor with this! Can you imagine how many hungry mouths this could have fed? But she gives it all to Jesus!
Love is more than liberality!
This was not the first time Mary had shown such a self-less devotion! If you look at Luke 10:38-42, you see a previous experience that had many of the similarities of this act:
NKJ Luke 10:38-42 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me." 41 And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 "But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."
b. This was an expense of time. Delight is more than duty!
c. The social expense:
Martha was frustrated with Mary’s devotion
The disciples were indignant with Mary’s expense!
And not just once, but at least twice – Mary gets it right!
And she takes some serious flack from respectable people all the while!
The reward of Christ is more than the reputation of man!
I understand that at first glance we can look at these passages and just think it was Mary’s temperament. Some people are just more emotionally driven – more loving and considerate and devoted than others! It just flows out of their nature…
Well that’s partly true – because when you get that close to Jesus, it DOES starting flowing out of your nature! You have a new nature!
But it’s not a personality thing – it cost Mary way too much to be this irresponsible and not get consternation of Jesus! She paid a high price for her devotion!
Somewhere, sometime, Mary had to make a choice to crucify the flesh that would call her into the kitchen, call her to be conservative with the perfume, call her look normal among everyone else – so that she could lose herself in reckless devotion to Jesus!
That doesn’t happen automatically!
Are you there?
Mary gave up her money, her time and her friends and even her family for devotion to Christ! That’s what it takes to get to know Him! That’s what it takes to get beyond the principles and into the Person! And once you lay your time, your money and your friends and your family on the altar of sacrifice, I don’t know what else there is to give! You have left all to devote to Him!
It’s a high price! But you’ve got to see this:
III. Mary’s devotion was profitable!
She sat at the feet of Jesus – Jesus spoke frequently of His death but the 12 disciples never seemed to get it! Look at this: (1) Mark 8:31-33; (2) 9:30-32; (3) 10:32-34 & Luke 18:31-34
Whenever Jesus says, “They’re going to KILL Me,” they don’t get it! How many ways are there to interpret that? I know we can see this clearly – but that’s because we have 20/20 hindsight – not necessarily because we have spiritual illumination. The disciples were this close to Jesus and they still didn’t get it!
But Mary did! She understood Jesus because she was devoted to Him!
The disciples didn’t get it because they were worried about principles – they were thinking the Messiah would deliver the Jews from the Romans – what’s this whatever about killing Him? And Mary’s lavish expenditure of on Jesus was something they were indignant about! In fact, the word is so strong that it implies they were scolding, they were even snorting at Mary.
But they didn’t understand He was going to die. On the other hand, Mary was devoted to Him – and she clearly understood what Jesus meant when she said: “They are going to kill Me.”
And Jesus takes note of this when He says that she prepared His body for burial.
Mary’s devotion was profitable because she understood the heart of Jesus and was able to discern His teachings…
Now if she caught this, how much more did she understand that the male disciples didn’t?
They were still fighting for the #1 spot! You’ll see that in John 13, just a few days later – no one was humble enough to take the towel, do the servant’s job and wash the feet of the guests at the table – so Jesus did it and put them all to shame!
But not Mary! She was already taking the shame, taking the heat, taking the reproach of Christ in selfless devotion! If you’re willing to take the risk and to look lazy and wasteful for Jesus – you’ll get that insight into His teachings that the busy and the industrious never will!
Her devotion was profitable because…
a. Her devotion discovered Truth! (Above)
b. Her devotion was defended by The Truth! (Play on John 14:6)
In Luke 10, Jesus told Martha that Mary had chosen the good part and that would not be taken away!
Hallelujah! God has just as much time as you do! He’s not too busy, too stressed, too distracted! If you’re going to invest in spending time with Him – He’ll make sure you are properly rewarded!
Likewise, Jesus told the disciples to “leave her alone!” In both instances, Jesus steps up to the plate and tells Mary’s detractors that she is in the sweet spot of life and He’s not going to force her back into the rat race everyone else is stuck in!
Don’t touch her!
This is My girl!
She’s got it right!
Jesus further promised that wherever the Gospel goes, this story would also be included in that! Mary’s devotion to Jesus provided an immortal example of what Jesus not only approves but also defends!
Do you think that having God’s defense if your actions is profitable? Do what Mary did! Give up your time, your money, your friends and even your family for the sake of Christ!
But Jesus isn’t here in His bodily form…and we can’t pour out perfume on the Holy Spirit since He doesn’t have flesh and blood either…can we make this practical to today?
IV. Making this practical
a. Establish priorities.
Are you driven by duties – or led by love? I know you have to show up at your job and work so many hours a week! I know you have a house to maintain! I know that you’ve got responsibilities to juggle! So did Martha!
Guess what!? So did MARY!
Worship on earth is practice for worship in heaven! Everything you have, all your responsibilities, all the material goods you work for – your stocks, retirement funds, your house – it’s all going to burn and the elements of this world are going to melt in fervent heat! So you better make sure you invest your time in what matters –and what matters most!
Suggestion: When I was in college, I had due dates most every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. I also had weekend ministry. For three years I was the co-pastor or pastor of an inner-city chapel. For one year I was the associate pastor of Franklin Bible Methodist Church. For five months I was the children’s church director of that Church as well! I was also on student counsel and had to schedule speakers to come to chapel – and clean up for school activities! I also worked while I was in college to pay for the bills! I know about busy schedules!
I tried everything to have good devotions on a daily basis! Morning, evenings, even in the afternoons right after lunch! I tried whatever I could to open the Word and to pray and to get to know God – but it was tough!
And much of the time it was empty duty!
So I tried this – and it was the best thing I did when I was in college – I decided that I would get in a total of 30 minutes a day between Bible and prayer Mon-Fri. But on Saturday. I would lay aside all assignments and I would read my Bible with a true devotional intent and I would pray until I had prayed. At least one day of the week I wouldn’t box God into a tight schedule, or out of my schedule!
I would recommend to you in your busy schedules that you learn to carve one day wherein you can have freedom to devote to Jesus! I’m not talking about Church – I’m talking about what personal devotions are really all about!
If you want to devote like Mary devoted, you’ve got to establish your priorities to walk with Jesus!
b. Engage with people.
Open to Matthew 26…Jesus said, “You have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always.”
And so I’m thinking – great! How then is this supposed to mean anything to us? We don’t normally use alabaster anything – and I doubt that most of use haven’t used a whole pound of perfume in our whole life! If we want to show some practical devotion, how do we do that?
Matthew 25:40 – “My brethren – you’ve did to Me.”
The hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick, and lonely brothers of Christ – show them acts of compassion and that is as you’ve done it to Jesus Himself! The implication from this passage is that if you don’t do it for Jesus’ brothers, you wouldn’t even do it for Him!
Think about that – Remember the picture of no disciple washing the feet in John 13 – and Jesus shows them again what He meant about whoever is greatest among you must be least…
But if you want to show Him care, concern and devotion, you’ll show it to His brothers.
Who are His brothers?
Matthew 12:49-50 – Those who do the will of the Father
Revelation 12:17 – Those who obey and hold the testimony (the martuian/witness) of Jesus Christ!
Do you love Jesus? The answer here isn’t to beat you over the head and tell you to feed, give drink, shelter, clothes and visit the shut ins. That’s principle, not personal.
But if you want to love Jesus – establish your priorities and then when devotion wells up within you, engage with people…
If you really want to express a selfless act of devotion to Christ– here’s how! Show the devotion that you would like to show to Christ to His Church! To His body! Our shut-ins need you! I need you! You need each other! And Sunday afternoon fellowship doesn’t cut it! If you really love Jesus – serve not even the “church” as a corporate body – but serve the individual people of the Church!
The converse is: If you never ask for help and refuse it when it is offered, you deprive someone of the opportunity to show devotion to Jesus!
I know you can do it on your own!
But for Christ’s sake, ask for help!
Application: I was challenged some time ago when a preacher told of a lady who came to him and asked him to prove to her from Scripture that God specifically loved her. The preacher thought of the “general” passages, like “God so loved the world…,” etc., but he admitted that he had a very difficult time trying to prove that.
I honestly can’t think of any text that says “God loves ___________.” But He does say that if we love Him, it will prove itself by loving others…
NKJ John 13:15 "For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.
NKJ John 13:35 "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
How does Donna know that God loves her personally?
Because Jim and Marsha love Jesus and want to serve her!
How does Daniel experience the love of God?
Because God channels His love through the conduit of the Litchfields!
How do I know that you love me? Because you love Jesus and want to be a blessing to me!
If we want to show our devotion to Jesus, do something practical – not for “the Church” as a corporate body – but specifically for a brother or sister in Christ – for His Bride!. Give yourself to them as Mary gave herself for Christ. And when someone new comes into our ranks, do the same for them! Let them see and experience and know that your devotion to Jesus is the motivation for giving yourself to them! If you do that, I can guarantee you that no one will be asking you to prove how or why or what passage states that God specifically loves them because they will know by experience!
“Why this waste?”
Why not!?
Closing Hymn Options:
I am Thine
More love to Thee
O for a Heart
Jesus, Thine All-Victorious Love
