You can do something to bless the Lord
Jesus went to Bethany prior to celebrating the Passover. While he was there in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came in with an alabaster box of very expensive perfume and anointed the head of Jesus. Mathew and John record that she poured it on his feet and also washed his feet with her hair. This perfume was pure nard or spikenard, made from an herb grown in the high pasture-land of the Himalayas between Tibet and India. It is only found in this remove area and was carried all the way to Palestine on camel back. It was worth a year's wages. We are told in the other Gospels that this woman was Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. This was probably her dowry.
Jesus had told his disciples many, many times that he was going to suffer and be crucified but they were so dull of understanding that it actually did not sink in. But Mary "got it." Jesus said she was anointing him for his burial. Some of the disciples objected to what Mary was doing and the "waste" of such expensive perfume. But Jesus gave a sharp rebuke to them and said, "Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her. She has done a beautiful thing for me." Mark 14:6.
The purpose of the ointment was to refresh and exhilarate. In the heated atmosphere of a Middle Eastern country in a room with many guests it would have been very refreshing. How can we bless, refresh and exhilarate the Lord? We obviously cannot anoint him for burial. But we can bless the Lord. Bless means to "speak well of, to praise, to celebrate with praises, acknowledging his goodness with desire for his glory." God wants our fellowship. He has always wanted fellowship. He came in the cool of the evening to fellowship with Adam and Eve. He had the Israelites build a tabernacle so they could come near God. It is good to be near God. Psa. 73:28. Hebrews 10:22 says, "Let us draw near to God."
As we praise and worship God we are changed. We become like what/who we worship. The Israelites fell away from God and followed worthless idols and they themselves became worthless. Psa. 135:18. Worship shifts our attention from ourselves onto the Lord. Your praise and worship build a throne bigger than the mountain in your way.
As Mary poured out the ointment onto Jesus the whole room became filled with the fragrance. As Mary washed Jesus' feet with her hair she began to smell just like Jesus. Worship changes your fragrance. You will begin to show the beauty of Jesus in your life. Peter and John were called before the Sanhedrin and showed such courage that "they took note that these men had been with Jesus." Acts 4:13. How awesome for others to note the qualities in your life and attribute them to the fact that you have been with Jesus.
Jesus said Mary did what she could. Mark 14:8. So what can you do? It doesn't have to be something big. On Sunday Pastor Ben urged us to go out and bless someone. Jesus said what whatever you do for the least of his brothers, you do it to him. Matt. 25:40. When Ben was about five years old I fell and broke my ankle. One morning Ben went in and made my bed for me, then came to tell me about it. He said, "Do you know why I made your bed? So you wouldn't have to." Granted the bed was not made the way i would have made it, but that little act so touched me that I still remember it 30 years later. If a little act like that can touch a mother's heart, how much more do the "little things" we do bless the heart of God. I can just hear him saying, "Did you see what my kid just did? They reached out and blessed..........
Reach out and bless someone today and in doing so you will be blessing the heart of God. You can do something to bless God. Let us anoint Jesus with the precious oil of our tears, our devotion and worship. "Waste" our lives on the one who poured out his life for us.
Tomorrows Bible Reading - 1 Kings 15, Jeremiah 41, Mark 15
God is good all the time,
1 comment:
What a great blog! I love your insight and wisdom, it is very refreshing and so simple all at the same time. Thank you for sharing with us!
Post a Comment