An Offer That Can't Be Refused

Mar 14:3 And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he [Jesus] sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she broke the box, and poured it on his head.

Single handedly, this woman, in one act of kindness to our Lord was memorialized forever in the Good Book. When we think there is nothing in our life left to offer to others, the Lord draws this act of kindness to our attention. It is not the sizable monetary amount of this gift that matters, so extravagant indeed that it was a gift of a full days wages. We may not have that left in our own coffers to offer.

We learn in further in exploring Scripture that it was Mary of Bethany, Martha's and Lazarus' sister who had sat at the feet of Jesus to learn of Him. It is now remarkable that she stands over His head and pours out of gift to prepare for His burial. Mary arose from a sitting position to a standing position. That is a symbol of action. It wasn't that she had learned all of the lessons that were available to learn in this life, but that she was ready to put them forth in a grand burst of display which showed to others that she had not only heard what would happen to her Lord, but she was willing to be criticized by others. We read that there were some that were filled with indignation, murmured against her, and scrutinized her reasons for not giving this money to the poor.

I don't know what you think of this instance, but my mind immediately wanders to the fact that riches or poverty, abundance or lack, either case being, I always have, and always will have, the means of doing the Lord a great and kind act that others, by chance, might witness.

You may not be a guest in a house today, but the Lord is here. You might be a resident, but the Lord is not absent wherever you are at. You may not be a wealthy person, and are just getting by with basics. You are too late for the Lord's funeral, for He has risen indeed and you know that He is the Son of God as He said. But if you put your mind and heart and soul to it, you can think of something extravagant to do for Jesus today.

It might be that you just smile and smile at Jesus all day long so that it makes an observant ask you, "What's up with you? Why all the smiles? What is going on?" Then you can declare, "This is my very precious gift unto the Lord today." Won't that cause tongues to wag? You can be memorialized for that. Your name may not be Mary of Bethany, but your name will live on because of your love of the Lord. Smile at the Lord and let Him know you were listening.