What A Waste

What a Waste

Mk. 14:3-9 AMP

Mary’s family was not wealthy.

Mary’s Alabasters box was filled with precious oil valued at 300 denarii.

A Denarii was about $0.17.or a whole days wages.

This so called waste was valued at a year’s wages for a common worker.

MK. 14:3

According to scripture when she broke the seal the disciples thought this was such a waste.

Waste simply means giving too much.

1. Why give a dollar when a quarter will do

2. Waste means you give something too much for something too little.

3. It means the one who is receiving the something is not worth so much.

Let’s look at this question from two angles. Judas and the other disciples

They all thought it was a waste.

Jn. 12:4-6 AMP

“But Judas Iscariot, the one of His disciples who was about to betray Him, said, why was this perfume not sold for 300 denarii [a year's wages for an ordinary workman] and that [money] given to the poor (the destitute)? Now he did not say this because he cared for the poor but because he was a thief; and having the bag (the money box, the purse of the Twelve), he took for himself what was put into it [pilfering the collections].”

Judas: A typology of the world.

a. We could manage better with the money: give it to charity, some social service, and help people in a more practical way.

Why pour it out and waste it on Jesus.

To the world the service for the Lord and giving of yourself to Jesus was a pure waste. Living for the Lord is such a waste. You can do better for yourself.

b. It is too much to give; To give all of your live to the Lord!

WHEN YOUR EYES HAVE BEEN OPENED TO THE REAL WORTH OF THE LORD, NOTHING IS TOO GOOD FOR HM.

The Rest of the disciples. You would think they knew better.

But both Mt. 26:8 & Mk. 14:4-5

It tells us they thought it was a waste too. They were moved to indignation in saying,

Mt. 26:8

“And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, for what purpose is all this waste?”

Now here is the whole question of waste, and of what the lord is after.

Today even among Christians there can be found much of this spirit that wants to give as little as possible to the Lord and yet get as much as possible from Him.

The Lord wants us to be used, yes, but what he is really after is that we pour all we have of ourselves to Him, and if that be all, that is enough.

The question is not one of working for Him, but of being of service to Him, of ministering to the Lord.

OUR alabasters box is filled with a precious thing. OUR whole life.

YOU need to break it and give it all to the Lord.

To the world that is a Waste, but that is what God wants.

MK. 14:6-7

What are we doing for the Lord today?

AT THE EMPTY TOMB did the women, who came with their anointing oil and spices to anoint Jesus body, anoint Him? NO

Only one succeeded. Mary. Before Jesus died.

We can’t wait, for if you wait you might be too late.

Mk. 14:8

Mary had given her all. All she could do, no more.

She did it. The Lord will not be satisfied with any less but all you can do.

The whole point is a life laid down at the feet of Jesus.

In this scripture Jesus was facing His death and burial.

Today He is preparing us for His crowning day where all will acclaim Him Lord of Lord and kneel at His feet.

Anoint Him now. Not with a material oil but with your love and your life.

Mk. 14:9 .

With the preaching of the gospel the Lord is out to have a result that corresponds with Mary’s action here. That is, for people to come out and pour all that you have on Jesus. That is what he is after.

Jim Goll, who wrote the book Wasted on Jesus, says it this way,

“Mary is bent on wasting her life on her Lord – the God who loved her and forgave her – and she doesn’t care who knows about it or what anyone else thinks… As we realize more and more who we are as sinners, and as we recognize the magnitude of what Christ has done for us, the more our hearts will rise up in us like the heart of Mary of Bethany. We’ll find ourselves saying, “Lord, I want my life to be a drink offering, poured out upon you.” Wasting our life on God is a doorway to greater intimacy with Him. I’m tired of boring church and mundane Christianity, how about you?