As a believer, would
you consider yourself a "traditional" Christian? How do you usually view
the good works of others - in a positive light, or in a critical fashion?
When are we most likely to bad-mouth the efforts of other believers? Have
you ever been criticized for serving the Lord by anyone in your church
family or in the family of God in general? Typically we get reprimanded
for doing wrong things, but it is always a surprise when we get reprimanded
harshly for doing right things, amen? We expect lost people to criticize
us for serving God, but it sounds bazaar for believers to do to one another,
doesn't it? I hope I have your interest peaked, because today we are going
to spend some time in Matthew 26:6-13 looking at this very sensitive topic.
While we are there, I want you to consider for what reasons you think
the disciples criticized Mary....
Matthew 26:6-13, "Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon
the leper, [7] There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of
very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat.
[8] But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what
purpose is this waste? [9] For this ointment might have been sold for
much, and given to the poor. [10] When Jesus understood it, he said unto
them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon
me. [11] For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always.
[12] For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it
for my burial. [13] Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall
be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman
hath done, be told for a memorial of her."
No doubt about it ladies, Mary, a deeply spiritual woman, was making a
major sacrifice here in pouring out not just precious, but VERY precious
ointment upon the head of Jesus! She was simply giving God her best...
Certainly there's no harm in that, is there? Well, IS there?? The disciples,
themselves servants of the Lord Jesus, witnessed her great sacrifice,
and the Bible says they were filled with indignation! Yes, it's true;
those in God's family criticized her for giving God her best, for her
act of love and devotion to the Lord, and called it nothing more than
waste! I find this a surprising reaction from brethren, don't you? You
see ladies, the problem was, Mary was not found behaving toward Jesus
within the "traditional" realm that these believers were used to and it
was very disturbing indeed!
Let's look for a moment at the definition of that rapidly spreading disease
the disciples had called indignation: anger or extreme anger, mingled
with contempt, disgust or abhorrence.
Okay, so now we have a better picture of the scene.... Pure devotion drove
Mary to the door of Simon the leper's home and to the feet of Jesus where
He was seated at meat. Then, blocking all others out, Mary lovingly and
with no thought for cost, breaks the alabaster box and pours out a very
costly ointment upon the Lord's head. Accompanying the flowing stream
of precious ointment was a refreshing fragrance, quickly filling the whole
house with it's sweet aroma. (Traditional Baptist churches could use such
a refreshing among them, amen?) In spite of the purity and beauty of the
impulse of Mary's loving heart, the disciples react in a very vehement
manner. Perhaps their response went something like this: "Oh my, will
you look at what that woman is doing! I can't believe it! What is the
matter with her, is she crazy or something?? Nobody I know has ever done
such a thing before! Why, it makes me sick to see her pour that expensive
ointment all over Christ's head, what a fool she is! If she had any brains
at all she would know there are so many other things that could be done
with that ointment, like selling it and helping the poor for instance.
Did she ever think of them?? I doubt it! Look at her! Somebody needs to
tell this pompous, foolish female she is just wasting that stuff!! Good
grief, I've seen everything now!"
Maybe that helps you better understand the meaning of the word indignation
by seeing it in action... It's ugly, isn't it? May God preserve us from
extracting such an infectious attitude!
Ladies, this scenario proves that there are risks Christians take in being
wholeheartedly sold out for the Lord, for mankind always seems to distort
true love and devotion to God, devaluing our faith and labeling it as
waste. Whenever we sincerely give Jesus Christ first place in our lives,
you'll find that even those in the family of God, even those who follow
Him, misunderstand or even mock us for our sacrifices and service to the
King, especially when they are of the non-traditional sort!! Can you handle
such treatment Christian, or will your feelings get hurt and bring you
to quit?? Should the negative reaction of others stop our love and devotion
to our Lord and Savior? No way! Sad to say, tradition has God's people
laced so tightly their hearts have no room to act or grow! Far too many
Christians habitually and traditionally perform service to the Lord out
of robotic-like motions, all the while stifling their love for God and
quenching the Spirit of God. Not so with Mary... Don't let those who have
been destroyed by man's tradition destroy you!
1 Corinthians 10:10, "Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured,
and were destroyed of the destroyer."
Do you know Christians who mock you for living by the principle of tithing
or giving to missions and call it a waste of your money? Do you know Christians
who mock you for living a separated Christian life and call it a waste
of your enjoyment? Do you know Christians who mock you for desiring to
serve the Lord full time in some capacity, perhaps on the mission field,
and call it a waste of your life and your children's lives that you'll
take with you? Do you know Christians who mock you for going soul winning
and call you an "extremist" for passing out so many tracts when they think
you should be doing other more 'reasonable' things for God with your time?
Do you know Christian women who pity you for being a stay-at-home wife
and mother and consider it a waste of your talent when you could put it
to what they consider to be better profit? Do you know other believers
who cluck their tongues and roll their eyes at your conservative attitude
toward worldly things and call it legalistic rubbish? If so, remember
from our reading today that what man called waste, Jesus Christ called
a good work!! Mary's sacrifice smelled sweet to the Savior even though
the disciples turned their noses up at it. The Bible says in verse 13
of our main text that Christ linked her testimony to His gospel forever!!
What an honor, amen??
Psalm 112:6, "Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall
be in everlasting remembrance."
What prompts us to sacrifice our time and goods for God? Love... Our Lord
commends and defends the servant who is wholly devoted to Him, amen? Ladies,
don't ever stop doing a good work for God just because of men's wicked
hearts and their indignant reactions to your love and devotion to Him!
Keep pleasing your Lord and Savior with your costly sacrifices in spite
of what man may say. It might be that your actions are stirring up dead
hearts, amen?
2 Peter 1:13, "Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle,
to stir you up by putting you in remembrance.."
Now it's time to take personal inventory... How are you reacting to the
godly sacrifices you are witnessing others make? What would prompt the
disciples to react in such a manner to the love and devotion of Mary?
Perhaps in their witnessing this one woman's act of wholehearted devotion,
the disciples came face to face with the truth that they don't personally
love God enough, they don't personally sacrifice enough for Him! We don't
like to be reminded that there is really waste going on in our own lives,
amen? So dear lady, are you responding to the efforts of others with indignation
and muttering? Are you a bit perturbed at the sacrificial service to the
Lord in other believers lives around you? Do you find it disturbing when
others break tradition in their worship of the Lord even though doctrine
is not being compromised? Do you think they ought to "calm down" a bit,
think maybe they are getting a little too excited about serving the Lord,
too off track? Are you getting agitated by those who are quickly growing
in their devotion to God, perhaps within your own church family or circle
of Christian friends? Is it leaving you feeling somewhat guilty by exposing
your own lack of devotion to God? It's always easier to mutter than to
get out of the gutter, amen? If you've reached a spiritual slump in your
Christian life, perhaps this is precisely the medicine you need to swallow!
You need a refreshing, you need an "alabaster attitude" like Mary had!
Let's positively witness the love and devotion of others to the Lord and
be motivated by it rather than filled with indignation as tradition would
have it...
Col. 2:8, "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit,
after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not
after Christ."
How can you increase your love for Jesus so that you will be more willing
to sacrifice for Him in a manner that He would commend? Calculating minds
quickly figure up the cost of serving the Lord and end up calling it wasteful.
Grateful minds never calculate, only give... What is your attitude today,
dear lady? Before we bad mouth the efforts of other believers, we better
understand what Jesus considers a good work and soberly contemplate our
own efforts, amen?
On that note, I want to point out that Mary's service was a silent one...
Even in today's story you'll see that not one word was said as she carried
out her act of devotion toward Christ in pouring out that expensive ointment
upon His head. No, Mary did not stand by and say, "I spent a hundred and
fifty bucks on this stuff and worked like a dog to get it so I could give
it!" She was silent... Ladies, how often are we guilty of complaining
or bragging of how much our service to the Lord costs... In Martha's house,
Mary is found listening at the feet of Jesus and is silent... How often
do we entangle ourselves in spiritual arguments at the expense of learning
God's Word? At her brother Lazarus's grave she weeps and is silent...
How often do we choose bitterness over acceptance of God's will? All these
responses combined make up a "noisy" manner of living out our Christianity....
Isaiah 32:17, "And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect
of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever."
Ladies, silent love is a mighty force!! Contrary to popular belief, the
greatest work in the world is not always accomplished by the best talkers,
amen? Let's be honest today - how many of us women are content with the
idea of serving God silently?? Take a look at many of the new religious
movements and notice who is at the helm - loud, aggressive, unsubmissive
women - out from under the authority of their husbands and the church!
Would you be among them?? Frequently, we are prone to feeling holier based
on the amount of talking or outside religious activity we are involved
in, especially if we can be in charge! We feel as if we are really serving
God when we pursue intense spiritual discussions with strangers, or write
a book, or teach a Sunday school class etc., but not if we stay home and
devote ourselves to our children, our husbands and other home-related
responsibilities. The silent, behind-the-scenes sacrifices are the hardest
ones to make, amen ladies? But not when one is truly devoted to God and
ready to die to self. Mary willingly gave to the fullest extent of her
ability and this silent act was highly commended by Christ!
In closing, let's purpose in our hearts to work on increasing our love
for God so that we are willing to sacrifice even what's most precious
to us for Him, amen? What's in your alabaster box today? Whatever it is,
break it open and pour it all out! Only a life abandoned to Jesus is richly
productive... Dedicate your lives to the supreme sacrifice made by the
Lamb of God! Renounce and repent of whatever attitudes keep you from being
sincere in your service and worship - even if it means breaking religious
traditions that have a hold on you! The disciples questioned as to what
purpose was Mary's so-called act of "waste" for they were blind to true
dedication... It was to the purpose that this woman's life brought glory
and honor to God! And ladies, how could THAT ever be considered a waste??
God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 2000 Pamela A. Iannello
