Today's Scripture
Mark 14:3-9 Hold Nothing Back
3 While he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment of nard, and she broke open the jar and poured the ointment on his head. 4 But some were there who said to one another in anger, “Why was the ointment wasted in this way? 5 For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor.” And they scolded her. 6 But Jesus said, “Let her alone; why do you trouble her? She has performed a good service for me. 7 For you always have the poor with you, and you can show kindness to them whenever you wish; but you will not always have me. 8 She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for its burial. 9 Truly I tell you, wherever the good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.”
RJ's Devotion
What the passage says
V. 3-5 Jesus was a guest at Simon the Leper’s house. A women came and opened an entire bottle of precious perfume. All who are gathered are furious.
V. 6-9 Jesus was pleased in her act of worship. He says, “She has just done something wonderfully significant for me. You will have the poor with you every day for the rest of your lives. Whenever you feel like it, you can do something for them. Not so with me” (v. 7-8 The Message).
What does the passage mean to me/us?
Jesus did say, “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ (Matthew 25:40 NIV).
So it means that doing good for the poor is important. It is important enough to say that ‘serving the poor is equal to serving Jesus.’ However, at the same time, we should not mix up the priority.
If we focus too much on serving the poor, and not serve our Lord, what is the benefit?
We can easily fall into the trap of doing God, without loving our Lord.
Is my service to the poor motivated only by the grace that I have received? Or has it become a moral act?
Prayer
Lord, in all that we do, may we glorify your grace.
In Christ Name, we pray, AMEN
Click to subscribe to our Daily Devotion.
You will receive a devotion in your inbox every morning.