A great display of love

 

Sometimes we don't have adequate words to express the depth of our feelings. When the woman (Mary) anoints Jesus' head, while he is eating at the home of Simon the Leper, we see the incredible love she has for Jesus. 

"While he was eating, a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume and poured it over his head." - Matthew 26:7

The depth of her gratitude is revealed in the value she places on Jesus. The jar of perfume was worth a full year's wages for the average worker. That is a lot of money to offer up as a gift to Jesus, especially as it was only to be used in a once off act. 

Mary came to understand the true 'worth' of Jesus and her generosity always challenges me to reflect on the love that I show Christ. Is my love merely in words, or does it come with a great display of love.

"Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions." - 1 John 3:18

Living in Grace

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John 12:3-6 - Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance. 4 But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, 5 “That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.” 6 Not that he cared for the poor—he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some for himself.

The Coins

How much is Jesus worth to you? 

When Judas approached the chief priests and negotiated to hand Jesus over to them, we note the value he placed on Jesus' head - 30 pieces of silver. According to tradition, this was the sum of money that was needed to be paid for a slave that had been killed (Exodus 21:32). To reimburse the slave owner, a price of 30 silver coins was paid to settle the debt. 

Although we understand Judas' role in death of Jesus, it does seem incredibly sad that Judas felt that his teacher, Jesus, was worth the price of a slave. Of course, the great irony in this is that Jesus came to be a servant to all, so the actual amount of money probably didn't bother Jesus. However, it does strike a chord in my own heart, when I consider the tough question: What is Jesus worth to me? 

¹⁴ Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests ¹⁵ and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So, they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. ¹⁶ From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over. - Matthew 26:14-16

Thought: The 30 coins don't only speak to us of betrayal, but they also speak to us of value and worth!

Living in Grace

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Worth more than that

If you popped along to your local pet store you would be able to buy a bird (like a budgie etc) for less than 100 Rand. If you were clever you could catch a sparrow in your garden and it would cost you nothing. As sad as it is to say this, these birds aren't worth much in monetary terms. And yet, these are the birds that he uses to compare humans with in Matthew 6. Jesus invites us to look at these birds and to see how content they are. They don't want for anything, because God takes care of them.

œ          Matthew 6: 26 - Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.

      So, in the end, how much more valuable are we to the Lord? In Jesus' mind we are much more valuable. In fact, so much so, that He was willing to die for us. Let us be thankful that God has given us all that we need for this life and for eternity.

“All have their worth and each contributes to the worth of the others.” - J.R.R. Tolkien

    Living in Grace

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How much?

A good book will cost us about R120,
An awesome cup of coffee about R10,
A delicious meal could set us back R200,
A new shirt may be around R150,
A new car will cost us...big bucks!
And a house will set us back close on R1 million.

Yes, I know that these figures depend on where we shop, but stay with me....

Everything nowadays has a price tag on it. We can bargain if we want, but we will still pay something in the end.

So, how much do you think you're worth? R50, R50 000, R5 million?
Here is what the Bible estimates you're worth...

Isaiah 43:4 - Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life.

To God we are priceless! How awesome is that?

And God's love for us?
Psalm 36:7 - How priceless is your unfailing love!

Living in Grace,
D3LM3