Mark 14:3-9
LET THE GOOD IN YOU BE KNOWN IN THE GOOD YOU DO
V:3. While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.
A, It was the Jewish tradition to anoint kings and priest for service,
1. It was also a Jewish tradition to anoint the heads of important guest in their
homes with oil.
2, The alabaster box of pure nard was a very expensive perfume imported
from India or South Arabia
3. It was worth a years salary of a normal worker.
( In today’s dollars at 10 dollars an hour it would be 21,000 dollars)
B. Mark does not identify the woman or her economic status.
1. Some think she was Mary the sister of Martha or Mary Magdalene
who Jesus cast out seven demons.
a. John 11:1-2 identifies this woman as Mary the sister of Martha and
Lazarus.
2. It does not matter who she was, because it was an act of extreme kindness.
a. It showed here love, respect and generosity for the guest of the house.
b. It may have showed her gratitude for something Jesus did for her.
IT IS MORE BLESSED TO GIVE THAN RECIEVE
My first point in this lesson, is that no expense should be spared to
show your respect for Jesus,
a. You cannot beat God’s giving
b. Jesus lavishly gave His life for us and we ought to lavishly give
ourselves to Jesus.
GOD LOVES A HUMBLE SPIRIT
Jesus and the other guest would have been seated on the floor in a reclining
position with His feet behind him.
a. You have to humble yourself to serve Jesus.
b. John 12 says she washed Jesus head and feet with her hair,
c. The hair of a woman is her glory ( 1 Cor 11:15)
d. She had to get on her knees to wash Jesus hair and bow down
on her knees to wash His feet.
NOT ASHAMED OF JESUS
You cannot be ashamed to praise Jesus openly.
Matthew 10:33
But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is
in heaven.
You should give a person flowers before they die.
What you do for God will be made known to men
write this down Mark. Write this down John. There are several consequences to the woman’s act of worship.
1. The fragrance of the perfume filled the house.
a. when we serve God sacrificially, there is a spiritually
fragrance that reaches the God in heaven
2. Your gracious gift is accepted by Jesus and commended to the Father.
3. Jesus will commend you before man.
4. Someone will be envious and try to belittle what you have done
for Jesus.
CRITICISM COMES AFTER YOUR SERVICE
V:4-5. Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, "Why this waste of perfume? 5 It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor." And they rebuked her harshly.
A. There will always be someone who will criticize what is value to you
but has no value to them.
1. Why should someone be concerned about what you do with your money
to praise God.
2. The evidence of your devotion to someone is the what you are willing to do
for them.
3. The evidence of your love for Jesus is what you are willing to sacrifice
for Him.
B. The people that criticize you will always have some unrelated reason
to justify their criticism.
1. The people who criticize may be jealous that they didn’t think to
do what you did and didn’t get the spot light.
2. They may be jealous that you didn’t do that for them.
3. People who criticize are assuming you neglect to do something they deem
important.
4. You should not criticize someone because their values are not the
same as yours.
JESUS APPROVES YOUR SERVICE WHILE OTHES ARE COMPLAINING
V:6-8 "Leave her alone," said Jesus. "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. 8 She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial.
A. God keeps track of the good you do for Him
1. What ever you do for God will be multiplied many fold and given
back to you. Any where from ten to 100 fold.
2. It is interesting that God does not keep track of your sins and
multiple them back to you.
3. You ought to do more for Jesus than you do for someone in need.
4. The one who has a heart for Jesus, will find ways to serve others
in the name of Jesus.
B. You should always do the best you can for everyone in the name
of Jesus.
1. If you are generous, God will always give you more opportunity and resources
to be more generous.
GOD ORDAINS YOUR SERVICE TO HIM
C. People may never understand the importance of what you do for Jesus.
1. People may never understand how God views your service to Him.
2. When God drives your heart, you will do things that others would not
think about.
3. What the woman did was a divinely ordained act.
4. She probably didn’t know that she was anointing Jesus for the supreme act
of holy sacrifice.
5. God will use your servant attitude to show others the importance or service.
GOD ESTABLISHES A HEAVENLY MEMORIAL FOR YOR DEDICATION
V:9. I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."
A. Long after you are gone. God will make sure people know the
quality of your service.
1. You dedication to God will written down in memory banks of many
people.
2. What you do for God stores up treasures in Heaven.
3. People see what you do, but God see the heart in what you do.
B. Mary gave her best in faith and love but others gave their worst
in hatred and unbelief.
1. What do you want to be known for after you die?
2. What are you doing now to be known for that?
Rev. M. Mitchell 3
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