THE BETTER BLESSING
Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair.
And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.
John 12:3 (NKJV)
Mary and Martha are often compared. Mary worshipped and Martha served, but they were both givers. Judas, who watched Mary anointing Jesus, was a taker.
Judas had realized that Jesus was not going to overthrow the Romans. His hopes for a prominent position in the new kingdom were dashed, and he was taking anything he could get, including the disciples’ money since he was treasurer.
Mary was sacrificially giving everything she had right down to her dignity. The act of letting her hair down was humiliating in their culture. Judas determined that the price of Mary’s spikenard was three hundred denarii (v. 5), which equaled one year’s income. It was a high dollar commodity because it had to be removed from the root of a plant found in India. Mark’s gospel tells us that she also broke the costly alabaster flask which contained the spikenard (Mark 14:3). No wonder Judas wanted the spikenard sold in order to get his hands on the money.
Some folks come to Jesus giving their all, like Mary. They sacrifice their money, time, and talent. They live to worship their Savior.
Others are interested only in what Jesus can do for them. They may be truly saved, but they don’t give of themselves. Their blessing comes from the warm fuzzy feeling they get when the choir sings. They seek intellectual knowledge rather than a more intimate relationship with Christ.
Mary obviously gets the better blessing. She was seeking to worship. She did not come just for the blessing, but God rewards those who seek to bless Him. Friend, you can never out give God, and I am not just talking about money. Don’t seek the blessing, but seek the One who blesses, Jesus Christ.
Heavenly Father,
We praise You. We love You, and we thank You. Help us always to keep our priorities on worshipping and serving You, not on the blessings we receive ourselves. Amen.
DIG DEEPER
Read John 12:1-8, Matt. 26:6-13, Mark 14:3-9.
HIKING THE TRAIL
As you read your Bible today, let God speak to you. Never let it only be an intellectual study. Sunday morning, let your only objective be on what you can give God.
Copyright 2015 Carolyn Dale Newell.
A Mountain of Faith 