Mark 14:3-11 OFFER UP YOUR BEST NOW
Jesus was having a meal in the house of Simon the Leper. A woman brought a very special gift to Jesus. Her expression of love caused a great stir among the people watching. Jesus was touched by the acts of devotion and said, "...whatever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her." (v.9)
Who was this woman? Why did she do this?
John 12 recorded the same incident. We know from John that this woman was Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. Jesus had been to her house too. Then Mary sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to His teachings, while her sister Martha was busy working in the kitchen. On another occasion, her brother Lazarus was very sick and later died. Jesus came and raised him to life again.
So Mary is a woman who knew Jesus - she spent time listening to Him. She knew His authority and power - when her brother came back to life. And now Mary did something that shocked everybody in that house. She took out an alabaster jar (a small stone flask with a long slender neck), filled with expensive perfume, broke that jar and anointed Jesus.
The act was more shocking because of the value of that perfume. It is worth "a year’s wages" (v.5) = $24,000 if we are getting $2000 per month on average.
Why would a young Jewish girl invest so much to buy a bottle of perfume? In Jesus’ time, it was a custom for young Jewish girls to spend her a huge amount on a jar of perfume. On the day of her wedding, she would break that flask to beautify herself with it. By doing so, the bride would indicate to her bridegroom that she was offering her best, her entire life, to him.
When Mary poured out that costly oil on Jesus, she was in effect saying, "Lord, I am pouring out my best for You... I’m pouring out my ALL to you." This was how Mary showed her gratitude to Jesus - she gave her best.
The moment Mary gave that expensive gift, some of the people around became angry. Judas said it was a ’waste’(v.4). How do we define "waste"? Something is considered "wasted" when it is used in exchange for something else that is of lower worth or value. To Judas, it was a waste to spend all that expensive perfume on Jesus. Why? To Judas, Jesus was simply not worth it.
However Mary had a different perspective. She was so grateful that Jesus raised her brother Lazarus back from the dead that she didn’t know how else to express her thanks to him.
How much is a life worth? How do you tag a value to a life? To Mary, the rescued life of a previously dead brother was worth so much she was willing to sacrifice her most treasured possession to the Lord Jesus.
Jesus said, "She has done a beautiful thing to me." (v.6)
Dear bro/sis, will Jesus say that of us today? How can we express our gratitude?
Learn from Mary - GIVE OUR BEST TO JESUS. It does not mean we have to give Him expensive things. Jesus said in verse 8, "She did what she could."
What can you give? According to your own means, ask: What can you give?
SHE GAVE HER BEST and SHE DID WHAT SHE COULD.
God do not expect us to give what we do not have. Mary did what she could and Jesus said, "She has done a beautiful thing to me." (v.6)
A woman missionary in the South Pacific Islands was explaining to a group of children the custom and significance of giving gifts at Christmas. "Giving gifts," she said, "expresses love and reminds us of the perfect gift of love we received from God: Jesus."
Later that week, a young native boy came to the missionary’s side and said, "I love you and want you to have this." He pulled from a straw basket the most beautiful shell the missionary had ever seen. As she admired its beauty, she recognized it as a special shell only found on the far side of the island, a half day’s walk from the village.
When confronted by this, the boy smiled and said, "Long walk part of gift!"
What beautiful thing can you do for Him today?
What have we ever done just for Jesus? How have I expressed my love to Him?
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Jesus went on to say, "The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial." (Mark 14:7-8)
Look at how Jesus defended her. Jesus praised Mary for having the wisdom to do something while she still can. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. If you want to do something for Me, this may be your only chance.
Mary knew that time is running out, and opportunity is going to pass. She knew that if she was ever going to demonstrate her love to Jesus, this was it!
If we read the end of this Gospel, we would come across another MARY (Mark 16:1ff.) who went to the tomb early in the morning - she "brought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body" (16:1). But she was too late. Jesus had already risen from the dead!
This Mary we are reading here - anointed Jesus on time - "to prepare for my burial". The other MARY in Mark 16 missed the chance altogether.
This Mary brought a small jar and poured out on Jesus while He was still living, and Jesus said, "Wherever the gospel is preached... what she has done will also be told, in memory of her" (14:9).
The other Mary prepared lots of spices but cannot be used. That’s why Jesus said here, "You will not always have me..."
If we have an alabaster jar of perfume and you’ve been thinking of breaking open, today would be a good time to do it.
We have to SEIZE THE MOMENT - OPPORTUNITY God has given us to serve Him. Whatever you want to do for Him, do it while you can.
Robert Richardson, a 19th Century writer wrote that there are 3 things that will never return no matter how much we pray or weep - (1) the arrow shot from the bow, (2) the spoken word, and (3) the opportunity passed.
In the days before modern harbours, a ship had to wait for high tide to make it into port. The term for this in Latin was called "ob portu," that is, a ship wanting to enter port had to wait for the moment when the tide was exactly right to carry it to harbour.
The English word opportunity is derived from this term. The captain and the crew waited for the precise moment when the tide was right because they knew if they missed it, they would have to wait for another tide to come in.
God gives us all many "high tides" - opportunities to serve him, to do something for Him. Don’t live in regret for the things you have not done. Live for Him today. Do something now. Break the jar and let the perfume fills the air. Like what Paul says in 2 Cor 2:14-15 "... through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. 15For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing."
Billy Graham, "... we cannot bear full responsibility for the next one; but we do have our generation. God will hold us responsible as to how well we fulfill our responsibilities to this age and take advantage of our opportunities." Leadership, Vol. 12, no. 4.
We’ve to ask God for wisdom to discern the times and seasons. We must be wise like Mary in Mark 14, who knew how to seize the moment to do a great work for Jesus.
May we all give our very best to Him while it is day - John 9:4 "As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work."
- Be involved in the various ministries in this church. See where we can contribute and offer our best to serve Him.
- Tell others about Jesus - opportunities in our workplace, school... places others cannot go but you are there.
- Offer what you have - others may not have what you have. Like Mary - "Do what you can."
CONCLUSION
God loves you more that you can ever love Him. We can never pay Him back. We can do anything and everything in the way of sacrifice, but we can never repay the debt of love that we owe.
God doesn’t require the debt to be repaid. He just wants us to accept what He has done, & to love Him for it. He has given His only begotten Son. Do you love Him for that?
Then express that love today, and show God that you really do love Him. It may be in a decision that you need to make. Accept Him today as your Saviour.
