What Will You Do For HIM?

“While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.”
Matthew 26:6-7

I had heard this week’s passage on our local Christian radio station so I went home to read it for myself. As I read it, two things came to mind. The first thing was a 1988 movie called “The Seventh Sign” - in the closing scenes of the film the character Abby in a series of flashbacks to the time of Jesus’ death is asked more than once “will you die for him?” She ends up surrendering her life so that her newly born son will live and the world won’t end. This got me thinking about the concept of sacrifice. The second thing that came to mind was the attitude of the woman who poured out this expensive perfume on Jesus.

She took a lot of guff from the others reclined at table that day - what a waste they said, it could have been sold and the money given to the poor. We have no way of knowing how she had acquired this perfume - had she scrimped and saved to buy it, had it been a gift or perhaps handed down to her? Whatever the case, it was obviously a precious possession and the most precious gift she could give. 

When we think of making a sacrifice we tend to see it as a painful experience. Jesus’ sacrifice surely was painful so of course pain can come with sacrifice. In this woman’s case it really seems more an act of worship, one that was bringing her joy rather than pain. Abraham was asked to sacrifice his promised son and he acted in obedience without hesitating, was his heart breaking - no doubt, but he trusted God and passed the test. Did the widow who placed two copper coins in the offering second guess her sacrifice or did her faith make it a true act of worship?

Those of us living in the Western world are not likely to be asked bluntly and with a real threat looming “Will you die for Him?” But there are people in other parts of the world who are. What will we do for Him that may feel like a sacrifice but is really an act of faith, obedience and worship and ends with joy rather than pain? What precious possession would we be willing to give away? Will we choose to love someone we can’t stand to be around the same way Jesus loves us? Will we be generous with our time and get to know someone who is different from us? What will be our expensive perfume or copper coins? 

This week I want to challenge you to think about what it means to make a sacrifice is it only about pain or can it and should it be about faith, worship and joy. Then think about what you will do for Him.

A Prayer
Father - forgive us for the times when we hold on to the stuff and people in our lives so tightly that we miss the opportunities to live out our faith in you, to worship you with our whole lives and live in the joy that comes with that. Help us Lord to look at sacrifice differently and show us what we can do when we are willing to surrender to your call. In the name Jesus, we pray - Amen.