Daily Scripture:
Mark 14:3 Jesus was at Bethany visiting the house of Simon, who had a skin disease. During dinner, a woman came in with a vase made of alabaster and containing very expensive perfume of pure nard. She broke open the vase and poured the perfume on his head. 4 Some grew angry. They said to each other, “Why waste the perfume? 5 This perfume could have been sold for almost a year’s pay [or three hundred denaria; a denarion was equivalent to a day’s pay] and the money given to the poor.” And they scolded her.
6 Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you make trouble for her? She has done a good thing for me. 7 You always have the poor with you; and whenever you want, you can do something good for them. But you won’t always have me. 8 She has done what she could. She has anointed my body ahead of time for burial. 9 I tell you the truth that, wherever in the whole world the good news is announced, what she’s done will also be told in memory of her.”
Reflection:
Mark reported that a grateful woman anointed Jesus with very expensive perfume in the last week of his life. (John 12:1-8 and Luke 7:36-50 told very similar stories. Scholars differ on whether these are different versions of the same event, or if they reflect two or three separate occasions.) Some criticized her striking act of gratitude, but Jesus staunchly defended her. He knew he was on his way to the cross, said she had anointed him in advance of his burial, and by her gift created a legacy of generosity that would echo all the way to 2018 and beyond.
- Imagine the deep love and gratitude that moved the woman to offer Jesus this extravagant gift. What does Jesus’ response tell you about how much her fervent love meant to him as he faced death? How can you show your love for Jesus, both in your inner “sacred space” and outwardly, with the same kind of spontaneity, generosity and urgency?
- We know some people in Jesus' day had vast wealth. (Click here to see a model of what archeologists believe the high priest Caiaphas’ home, where Jesus was taken for trial, looked like.) But here we are, almost 2000 years later, reading about a woman whose legacy was not the size of her house, but the greatness of her expression of love and gratitude to Jesus. What kind of legacy do you aim to leave behind you?
Loving Lord, she wasn’t trying to impress us, or the people in the room with you. She just wanted urgently to say “Thank you” for your love and grace. Help the same profound gratitude to motivate any of my acts of service to you and others. Amen.
Darren Lippe helps facilitate Journey 101 “Loving God” classes, guides a 7th-grade Sunday school class, is a member of a small group and a men’s group, and serves on the curriculum team.
As I considered today’s theme, I began pondering how a gravestone epitaph might succinctly capture our unique legacies. Here are some suggestions:
- The Hypochondriac: I told you I was sick.
- The Movie Producer: Annnnd cut.
- The Auctioneer: Going, Going, Gone!
- Computer Programmer: 404 - Page not found.
- Cartoonist: That’s all, folks!
- Police Officer: Move along folks. Nothing to see here.
- The Psychic: I knew this would happen.
- A Father: I’m just resting my eyes.
- GPS Map Designer: I have arrived at my destination.
So, what might this mean for us today? On one hand, it is calming. Jesus, in all His wisdom, isn’t holding us to some one-size-fits-all standard that could well be beyond our means or abilities. He is appreciative of each and every contribution to the Kingdom of God. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to us. After all, he is the one who marveled at the simple sparrow, who bragged on the generosity of the widow’s tiny donation, and who favorably compared the splendor of the lily field to all of Solomon’s treasure. Appreciation is an amazing trait of Jesus. It’s like a gentleman’s tombstone along the Oregon Trail with the basic description, “Son – Husband - Father.” His widow had chiseled below the inscription in uneven letters the following addendum: “He always appreciated.”
On the other hand, this epitaph is challenging. Have we done all that we could? What does that even look like? In Boy Scouts, you are challenged to do your best in your duty to God, Country, and Self. This means you are to set goals that are attainable yet still demanding. All of your talents and skills will need to be utilized to achieve these goals. And these achievements will be measured against your own unique high standard and not compared with others.
This coming week we will have many opportunities to serve God's Kingdom: it may be taking the time to share the love of Christ with someone in need of hope, it could be using our unique talents for good works, or it might mean generously sharing our treasure for godly purposes. Regardless, let us all strive to earn an epitaph as laudable as our friend’s: “We did all that we could.”
And now, as the epitaph for an Airline Stewardess might read, “Buh-Bye.”
An Editor’s epitaph might read: # # #
This means the end of the copy or end of the story, which might have been advisable a bit earlier in today’s Insight (Editor.)
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You might also like:
- Living out Jesus' self-giving legacy
- A legacy of caring about “the least”
- Investing for the master’s purposes, not hoarding
- Wise life choices shape our legacy
- Prayer Tip: What Would Jesus Say About Building a Legacy?
- Or download this week's printable GPS.
©2017 Church of the Resurrection. All Rights Reserved.
Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
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