Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot… said, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”
--John 12:3-5
In today’s passage, we see two very different attitudes toward worship. In fact, the two attitudes couldn’t have been more different.
On the one hand, we have Mary, who was always found sitting at the feet of Jesus, worshipping him in word and deed. She even gave that which was precious to her to show her deep love for Christ… a bottle of expensive perfume that she used to wash his feet.
Then on the other hand we have Judas Iscariot, a critical, insincere, selfish man who was actually stealing from the Lord Jesus.
One was a giver, one was a taker. One had been at the feet of Jesus, one had not.
I would venture to say that most people don’t have what I would call a Judas heart. Yet at the same time, I’m not sure that all of us have what I would call a Mary heart. Most of us probably fall somewhere in-between on this continuance.
What about you? When it comes to giving of your time and resources to the work of the Lord, does your attitude more closely resemble a generous Mary heart… or does it reflect more of a heart of selfishness?
When you settle the issue of lordship in your life, you’ll settle the issue of stewardship in your life.
What that means is that when Jesus is #1… when he’s your heart’s first affection… you won’t ask how little you can give to him. Your giving will become a true sacrifice of praise to the Lord and love of your life!
WHEN YOU SETTLE THE ISSUE OF LORDSHIP IN YOUR LIFE,
YOU’LL SETTLE THE ISSUE OF STEWARDSHIP IN YOUR LIFE.
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him, And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.”
Luke 8:1–3
One of my favorite stories of answered prayer comes from the early days of Dallas Theological Seminary. The school was in great financial difficulty and needed $10,000 to continue operating. Dr. H. A. Ironside convened a group of leaders and prayed, “Lord, You own the cattle on a thousand hills. Please help us in this time of need.” That very day a check arrived in the mail for the $10,000 they needed. The note enclosed informed them that a rancher had sold some cattle and wanted to give part of the money to the Lord’s work.
Though the Lord certainly does not need our help or resources—everything already belongs to Him—His plan is for His work to be funded by His people. Every Christian needs to be involved in supporting and helping God’s work in the world. These gifts are not giving God something that He lacks, but rather investments that provide for the work to continue, and that produce fruit in our lives.
Paul pointed out this truth in the letter that he wrote to the church at Philippi to thank them for their financial support of his ministry. “For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity. Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account” (Philippians 4:16–17). When we fail to give as we should, not only do we rob God, but we also rob ourselves of an opportunity to be part of something great and eternal.
Today’s Growth Principle:
It is a privilege to make an eternal investment by using our resources to support God’s work.
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