Give Him your Best, ant HE will do the Rest!
1/7/10
Mark 14:3-9 And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head. But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, "Why was this fragrant oil wasted? For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor." And they criticized her sharply. But Jesus said, "Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me. For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always. She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial. Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her."
As a child and a parent, I can remember hearing and as a parent later repeating the phrase, “Do the best you can!” Isn't that a good goal for everyone. On your job, “Do the best you can!” I think every employer would be please to have a workforce like that.
In sports, “Do the best you can!”. West Virginia native Randy Moss recently was let go from his former team, the Vikings, for and I am quoting, “The talent is still there, but the effort and dedication were suspect.”
What a goal for Christians. We are not perfect even after receiving Christ, but we should all strive to be the best that we can be. It is not just the Army who wants you to “Be all that you can be”, that is the desire of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So let us look at our text and see what happens when we, “Give Him our best and HE will do the rest!”
First let us look at...
The PEOPLE
First of all let us look at person whose house Jesus went to, Simon the leper. Now who would go to a lepers house on purpose? No one. Once you were labeled a leper then you became a cast out. You could not be around others, unless they were other lepers. A social outcast you could say. But with Jesus there is no such thing as a social outcast. Simon the leper had to have been healed at some point in Jesus' ministry. In Mark 1 we read about Jesus healing a leper, this may have been Simon. But in any case, no matter how much of an outcast you may feel like, Jesus will be there for you too.
Something else about Simon the leper; what do we know about him other than at one time he was a leper. This event is also recorded in the other gospels. And from that find out other things about Simon.
We all know who was the earthly father of Jesus, but who was the father of Judas? Look in John 12:4-5 But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, (Whose son?) who would betray Him, said, "Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?"
Talk about the bad apple in the basket. Judas Iscariot, Simon's son.
Then we have the two woman, Mary and Martha. Sisters who we read a lot about in the life of Jesus. Both of them loved the Lord, but one of them seemed to have a better perspective about who and what Jesus was and is.
When you read about Mary, she always seems to be at the feet of Jesus worshiping Him. In John Chapter 11 we read about Jesus rising their brother, Lazarus, from the dead. Liston to the responses of these two sisters.
First we have Martha...John 11:19-27 And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. Now Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. Now Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world."
Then we have Mary's response...
John 11:32 Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."
Sounds the same, but that is just at the first glance. You see Martha was looking to the future for her brothers resurrection, but Mary was looking at the present. Latter on we read that when Jesus asked them to roll about the stone, it was Martha who said, “Lord by this time he stinks for he has been dead for four days. Mary knew that Jesus didn't have to wait for the resurrection to rise Lazarus up.
We also know that about the story when Jesus went to their house again for dinner. Again we see the contrast between the two. 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. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word. 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." And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."
Mary was at the feet of Jesus listening and learning, worshiping the Lord while Martha was in the kitchen working for the Lord. Worshiping is better than working for the Lord. Mary was doing what we all need to be doing.
And it is this same Mary who we read about in our text who once again got it when no one else did. She understood what not only who Jesus was but understood what He was getting ready to do. Let's look at what Mary did.
While the other accounts of this story in the other Gospels talk about pouring the expensive perfume on Jesus, this particular account tells us that she broke the jar open. The jar that the perfume was in was a very expensive jar made of Alabaster. It would have been one of those Jars that even empty that set on your shelf or reuse.
The perfume that was in the jar was call spikenard, a very costly perfume. The value of this they say would have been about one years wages. Can you imagine your wife coming to you and requesting a bottle of spikenard for Valentines day. A years wages!
The purpose of the perfume was used to anoint bodies for burial.
Mary had tremendous spiritual insight when she anointed Jesus. She anointed His body for burial. She, unlike the disciples, understood that Jesus was soon to die! She didn't just pour a little bit on Him, she broke that bottle open and poured it all on Him! She gave Him her best!
Then I want us to notice...
The PERSECUTION
When Mary broke that bottle and poured the perfume on Him she faced persecution. We read in Mark 14:6 But Jesus said, "Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me.
Anytime you are doing a good work for God you will be persecuted. In this case we read that it was the disciples of Jesus who began to complain about the waste. Now we read in the Gospel of John, that it was Judas that was the mouthpiece. He is the one that got everyone else stirred up. “Why wasn't this perfume sold and given to the poor”. Not a bad argument coming from a thief.
Now we know that while Judas had the appearance of a follower of Christ. In fact he blended right in. But we know that at that time that he was not even a believer. Later on we read about Satan entered into Judas so we know that he was not one of the family.
And sadly enough, that is where a lot of persecution comes from. From within the church. You are doing God's work and someone isn't happy with how you are doing it. While some just stir things by complaining to others, some will try to get you down by complaining to you.
The bible speaks about how God hates those who cause problems in the church. Proverbs 6:16-19 These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.
Do you think that Judas was really worried about the poor? No he was upset because he didn't have the chance to steal some of the money. Now I am not saying that everyone who causes problems in the church is possessed and is not a Christian. I am saying that one of Satan's favorite ploys is to get people in the church fighting among themselves so that they are not fighting against him.
But when it is not in the church you are being persecuted, it will be by others. There are a lot of things that we as Christians should do that others would consider a waste.
Why go to church? You can believe in your God without wasting your time listening to some preacher condemn you.
Why go to Sunday School or Sunday and Wednesday nights? You went to the main service.”
Why waste your time doing all that praying. God's will be done anyway.
Why read your bible? Why witness to that person? They have been told before.
Why give the church your money? You need it more than them!
Why go in dept to expand the church? I like it just the way it is. What a waste!
There are sadly enough a lot more half hearted Christians then those who got it like Mary, who didn't just want to give Jesus some, she wanted to give Him her all. And because of that we have my final point...
The PROMISE
Mary gave her best. We never read about any half halfheartedness with her. She was not just working for the Lord, she was giving Jesus the true worship that He deserves. And because of that, we read the promise that she will be remembered from now on.
Mark 14:8-9 She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial. Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her."
She did the best she could and she will be remembered for it. How will you be remembered?
What will be said about you when you are gone?
Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Now let me tell you what is really a waste? If you are here this morning and you have never entered into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, what a waste. You are wasting your whole life here on this earth and for what? To be able to have some fun? To climb the corporate ladder? To gain a bunch of possessions or money that you won't be taking with you anyway. You came into this world with nothing and you will leave the same way! What are you waiting for? Give your heart to Him today!
Another waste is for those who have entered into a personal relationship with Christ and God has given you certain talents, but yet you chose to not use them?
My dad shared with me a story about a Dentist who sent his son to college to someday take over his practice. The young man upon graduation, came home and began to work with his dad who paid for his college. Latter on he went on a mission trip to Hatti to share the gift that God had given to him. He found out quickly that he was able to share Christ while offering his free services to the Haitian people. So he went on and would work 6 months in the practice and then spend 6 months in Hatti sharing the gospel. But do you know what his dad, a proclaiming Christian, the Dentist said about his plan? What a waste!
It is a waste that Christ desires to not only be your Savior but become your Lord! Yet you won't give Him the priority that He deserves. I like the saying that so many people can relate to. Jesus does not what weekend visits. He wants FULL TIME Custody!
I was speaking with a young lady this week who when I asked her how her church was doing; she went on to inform me that she had not been in a while. She begin to make the excuse that her and her husband had bought a house and they were remodeling it. She was more interested in her earthly home instead of her eternal one.
Give God your best, He will do the rest! Sometimes you may see the harvest, sometimes not. But you have the promise that if you do the best that you can with what He has given you that you will be able to hear Him say... “Well done, my good and faithful servant!”
