THINK TOGETHER.
What’s your most valuable possession?
READ TOGETHER.
John 12:1-3. 1Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. 3Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
If you read day 71, then you know that Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. In John 11 Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. How do you say thank you for something like that? Well, first, you throw a dinner party in his honor, which is what Martha, Mary, and Lazarus did.
But then Mary did something else, something very unexpected and beautiful. She took very expensive perfume and washed Jesus feet with it, right there in front of everyone.
Everything Mary did was shocking. The perfume she poured on Jesus was worth a whole year’s wages or salary. For Mary to wash Jesus’ feet was surprising because usually only servants or slaves did that. And for her to wash his feet with her hair was the most shocking of all. Back then Jewish women never let their hair down in public, especially not in front of men.
Mary loved Jesus so much, she was so devoted to him, that she had to do something to show it.
But what Mary did was more than just gratitude; it was also faith. Listen to how Jesus describes what Mary did for him:
John 12:7. “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial.” (NIV)
Did Mary know and believe something that the rest of Jesus’ disciples didn’t understand – that Jesus was going to die, be buried, and then rise again? It sure seems like it. Is Mary saying thank you to Jesus, not only for raising her brother, Lazarus, from the dead, but for also dying for her as well? I think so.
Have you told Jesus thank you for dying for you sins and for rising from the dead for you? Are you able to love Jesus with everything you have, even your most valuable things?
You know, we don’t have Jesus here with us physically to pour perfume on him. We can’t literally give our most valuable things to Jesus. But we can give our most valuable thing, ourselves, to him by loving and sharing with others. By spending time with him listening to him through the Bible and talking to him in prayer. We can love Jesus like Mary did, with all that we are and all that we have.
Because of Jesus our lives can be full of gratitude to God for saving us.
With Jesus we can share our most valuable thing, ourselves, with him and with others.
DO SOMETHING TOGETHER
“Show and Tell” your most valuable possessions. Would you share this with Jesus if he was here?
PRAY TOGETHER
Father, thank you for sending Jesus to give his life for us. Help me to live my life for Jesus. Amen.
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