Lessons
For Christian Ladies
This
Series Of Lessons Was Taught By
Mrs.
James Modlish
An
Old Story Told
Introduction:
As has been reinforced
throughout the evening, the theme of this fellowship is
the telling of stories. In fact, it's a theme that is
even prevalent in today's newspaper headlines. (Newspaper
headline telling about the stories of Pearl Harbor
survivors) Actually, each one of our lives are stories in
progress; Someone in the future may be telling your story
one day as they still are telling the story of the woman
in our study tonight. We can only hope and pray that our
life story is half as valuable generations later as this
woman's.
The Christmas season usually
causes us to focus our attention on Mary, the mother of
Jesus (as we did last year with "Mary, Did You Know?),
but this time would like to direct your attention to
another Mary whose love and devotion to Jesus Christ
would certainly bear imitating.
John
12:1-9
In pondering Mary's gift to
Jesus, I had to ask myself three questions...just what
was this gift, how was it offered, and why?
What was
the gift?
A. Spikenard ointment
in an alabaster box according to the three gospels of
Matt., Mark and John
B. Very
costly...equivalent to one year's wages for a man of that
time. It was a gift fit for a King.
C. Too valuable for
her own personal use, but very appropriate for her
Lord.
[1]. How
many times do we "save" the good china for the guests
or the best towels for company?!
D. Note that she did
not bring her less valuable ointment, that which was
leftover and consequently, of less worth.
[1]. How
many times do we give God our leftover time, money or
energy?
I'll read my Bible when I
have read everything else there is to read in the
house. I'll make it to church on a regular basis if
something doesn't pop up to tempt me to change my
plans. I'll use my time and talents for the Lord's
service after I have expended the best part of them on
my own self interests."
[2]. Hoping to
develop his son's character, a father once gave him a
penny and a quarter as he was leaving for Sunday
School. "Now, Peter, you put whichever one you want in
the offering plate," he said. When the boy returned,
his father asked which coin he had given. Peter
answered, "Well, just before they sent around the
plate the preacher said, "The Lord loveth a cheerful
giver," and I knew I could give the penny a lot more
cheerfully than the quarter, so I gave it."
[3]. Surely, the One who gave all for us is
deserving of our all.
How was
the gift offered?
A. It was an Eastern
custom to anoint the feet and sometimes the head of a
guest...an act of hospitality.
[1]. Mary
takes the act one step further in that she uses her
hair to wipe the feet of Jesus. This is significant
since the Bible speaks of a woman's hair as "her
glory." (I Cor. 11:14) She was using her glory to
honor His.
[2]. Her method of giving indicated complete
submission to her Lord and her recognition of who He
was.
B. Her offering came
with no ulterior motive; she expected nothing in
return.
[1]. This
time she was not making a request for her brother's
life to be returned to him.
[2]. She was not at this place for the
fellowship she would experience with family and
friends.
[3]. She was at this place, at this time,
purely and solely to bring whatever honor and comfort
she could to Jesus.
C. It was offered in
the face of criticism.
[1]. Jesus
was in a house surrounded by friends, but also with
enemies. It might have been hospitable and expected to
wash the feet of the guests, but it isn't recorded
that anyone else offered to do this. (Psa. 23:5) takes
on special significance here as Jesus sets at a table
prepared for Him in the presence of His enemies while
one who loves Him anoints His head with oil.
[2]. And the most vocal critic, Judas, was the
one who would sell the safety of Jesus for a fraction
of what Mary's gift was worth.
Why was
the gift given?
A.
Gratitude
[1]. Jesus
had become a familiar and frequent guest at the home
of Mary, her sister Martha and brother Lazarus.
[2]. She was the attentive listener during
these visits, much to the chagrin of her sister who
was always bustling about.
[3]. Each time we see Mary in the scriptures,
she is at Jesus' feet, whether it was listening to
Him, falling down at His feet in grief over the death
of her brother or, as we have studied tonight,
honoring Him with her most valuable possession.
[4]. It was this Miracle Worker who, when her
brother had been dead four days, showed His great
power and His love for this small family in restoring
life to Lazarus.
B.
Knowledge
[1]. Mary
obviously paid attention to the words of Jesus in
(John 11:25-26).
{a}. Prior to
resurrection of Lazarus
{b}. Her response is perfect and pure.
[2]. Because of
this she knew what even the disciples had apparently
not grasp. The eminent sacrificial death of her
Lord.
{a}. Jesus
responds to her critics in (vs. 7) with some of the
saddest words in the Bible. "...against the day of
my burying hath she kept this."
{b}. She, more than anyone else present, realized
that His death was more important than His
birth.
Conclusion:
So, in this season of
good will and hopefully, the renewed acknowledgment of
God's great gift to us, what does Mary of Bethany teach
us if we are willing to learn?
[1]. Our
love for Jesus Christ is NEVER wasted; we can never
give Him too much of our time, talent, lives.
[2]. Proper worship of the Lord will cost you
something and rightly so. Talk is cheap; actions speak
louder.
[3]. Even though it is wonderful and indeed
fitting that we celebrate the birth of Christ at this
season of the year, it is far more critical that we
recognize His sacrificial death.
[4]. Gratitude is a great motivator.
Unthankfulness is an ugly and dangerous thing.
[5]. Real, genuine devotion to Christ cannot
be hidden, and the aroma of it will fill the house.
(vs. 3) John talks of the aroma, but Matthew and Mark
speak of the reward Mary, though not seeking,
received. (Mk. 14:8,9) Of course, it is a memorial of
her...you just read about it, didn't you??
What
better gift for the Lord than the best of you?
Return
To Index
|
