Mary Anoints Jesus

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How will you serve Jesus today?

Six days before the Passover Feast, Jesus returned to Bethany, to the home of his friends — Lazarus and his sisters, Martha & Mary (167).  It was this Lazarus whom Jesus had previously raised from death.

The three friends of Jesus gave a dinner for him.  Martha helped serve the dinner; Lazarus was sitting at the table with Jesus.  But Mary took several ounces of a very expensive perfume, poured it on Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The sweet smell of the perfume filled the entire house.

Judas Iscariot — the one who was going to betray Jesus – was indignant & said, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred silver coins, so the money could be given to the poor?” (Judas really didn’t care about the poor; he cared more about the money.  He was responsible for the donations given to support Jesus’ ministry, and he would sometimes steal some of that money.)

But Jesus said, “Please, leave Mary alone. She has kept this perfume to prepare me for the day of my burial.  You will always be able to serve poor people, but you will not always be able to serve me in this way. ”

Many people heard that Jesus was in Bethany, so they went there — not just to see Jesus, but also to see Lazarus, because Jesus had raised him from death.

The Jewish religious leaders were frustrated that, because of Lazarus, many more Jews were rejecting their authority & believing in Jesus.  So they began making plans to kill Lazarus along with Jesus.

LORD, please help us to love serving You, however we can, whenever we can.

How will you serve Jesus today?

(167) John 12:1-11

Evaluation

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How do you think Jesus evaluates your service for His kingdom?

Many people were puzzling over the incident with Zacchaeus, but they still followed Jesus as he walked along.  They expected Jesus to overthrow the Roman occupation forces & re-establish Israel as the independent kingdom of God on earth.

Knowing this, Jesus continued teaching with another story (166): “Once there was a nobleman whose country was ruled by military forces of another country far away.   This nobleman was going to that ruling country to be installed as “king” of his own country, after which he planned to return to rule his homeland. Before he left, he called in ten servants, gave them each a gold coin, and told them, ‘See what you can earn with this while I’m gone.’

“Many people in his homeland hated this particular nobleman & lobbied against his being installed as their king.  But their efforts didn’t succeed.  The nobleman was installed as king, after which he returned home.

“At once he ordered his ten servants to appear before him, in order to find out what they had accomplished for his kingdom. The first one came & said, ‘Sir, I have earned ten gold coins with the one you gave me.’  ‘Well done,’ said the newly-installed king; ‘you’re a good servant. Since you were faithful in these small matters, I’m appointing you ruler of ten cities in my kingdom.’

“Then the second servant came & said, ‘Sir, I have earned five gold coins with the one you gave me.’   Again the king was pleased, so he told his servant, ‘You will be in charge of five cities in my kingdom.’

“But a third servant came & said, ‘Sir, I’m returning your gold coin; I kept it hidden, because I was afraid of losing it.’ Then the king said to him angrily, ‘You should at least have put my money in the bank, so it could have earned a little interest for my kingdom!’

“Then the king ordered his officials: ‘Take the gold coin away from him & give it to the servant who has ten coins.’ Some of the officials questioned this: ‘But Sir, he already has ten coins.’

“The king responded with three decrees:  ‘Every servant of mine, who works faithfully to increase my kingdom, will be given more responsibility in my kingdom.

‘And every servant of mine, who does nothing to increase my kingdom, will lose whatever responsibility he has had.

‘But all those people, who resisted my even becoming king, must now forfeit their lives & be removed from my presence forever.'”

LORD, please help us to love serving You as our only King.

How do you think Jesus evaluates your service for His kingdom?

(166) Luke 19:11-27

Possessions, Or People?

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Might you love other people more, if you loved your possessions less?

At Jericho, Jesus had one final encounter (165).  Zacchaeus, a wealthy chief tax collector there, wanted to see Jesus.  But he was a wee, little man & he couldn’t get a good look at Jesus over the crowd. So Zacchaeus ran on ahead & climbed a sycamore tree, still hoping to see Jesus when he passed by.

When Jesus did pass by, he looked up into the tree & said, “Come on down, Zacchaeus.  I’m going to visit your home today.” Zacchaeus hurried down the tree & welcomed Jesus with great joy.

The people in the crowd hated tax collectors, so when they saw this they started grumbling: “How can Jesus go as a guest to the home of a sinner like Zacchaeus?”

But Zacchaeus stood up & said to Jesus, “Listen, sir, I will give half my belongings to the poor.  And if I have cheated anyone, I will pay him back four times as much.”

Jesus said to Zacchaeus, “Salvation is beginning in your house today.  Indeed I have come to seek & save lost descendants of Abraham, just like you.”

LORD, please help us to love other people more than our possessions.

Might you love other people more, if you loved your possessions less?

(165) Luke 19:1-10

Blind Faith

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When you can’t see which way to go, who opens your eyes?

When Jesus and his students were near Jericho, a large crowd followed them (164).

Two blind beggars were sitting by the road & heard that Jesus was passing by; one of them was named Bartimaeus.  The two blind men began to shout, “Jesus, son of David! Have mercy on us, sir!”

People in the crowd scolded them & told them to shut up. But they shouted even more loudly, “Jesus, son of David! Have mercy on us, sir!”

Jesus stopped and called for them. When they were brought to him, Jesus asked them: “What do you want me to do for you?” “Sir,” they answered, “we want you to restore our sight.”

Jesus had compassion for them; he touched their eyes & at once they were able to see!

He said to them, “You have been made well by virtue of your faith in God.”

Then they, too, began following Jesus.  And many more people, when they saw this, began praising God.

LORD, please help us to love trusting You to open our eyes.

When you can’t see which way to go, who opens your eyes?

(164) Matthew 20:29-34, Mark 10:46-52, Luke 18:35-43

How To Lead People To God

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What way of serving others brings you the most joy?  

Jesus was going up the mountains to Jerusalem (163).  Along the way, he took his twelve chosen witnesses apart from the crowds & spoke to them privately.

“When we go up to Jerusalem, I’ll be arrested by the chief priests & the teachers of the law, who will arrange for me to be condemned to death.  After the Romans have mocked & tortured me, I’ll be executed by crucifixion.  But, three days later, I will rise from the grave & live again!”

The chosen witnesses didn’t really understand what Jesus meant, and they were a little afraid to understand, so they didn’t ask him to explain.

But then the wife of Zebedee came to Jesus with her two sons, James & John.  She bowed before Jesus & asked him for this favor: “Promise me that my sons will sit on your right & on your left when you are king.”

 “You don’t really understand what you’re asking,” Jesus said to her.  Then he asked James & John, “Do you believe that you can drink the cup of suffering that I am about to drink?” “Yes, we can,” they answered. “And so you will,” Jesus told them.  “But I don’t have the right to choose who will sit by my side. God has already prepared those who will sit on my right & on my left.”

Hearing all this, the other ten chosen witnesses became angry with James & John.  So Jesus called all twelve together and said, “You know that worldly leaders exercise power & authority over the people under them.  But that is not the way I intend for you to lead people to God.

“If you want to lead people to God you must be their servant, like me.  I didn’t come to be served.  I came to serve — even to sacrifice my life — in order to rescue many people from themselves.”

LORD, please help us to love serving people, just like Jesus.

What way of serving others brings you the most joy?  

(163) Matthew 20:17-28, Mark 10:32-45, Luke 18:31-34

Equal Pay For Unequal Work

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What helps you love new believers?  What gets in the way of that love?

Jesus told his students this story — to help them guard against becoming proud of being the first to receive the good news of God’s kingdom, and to encourage them to keep on sharing the good news of God’s kingdom with other people (162).

“Once there was a man who owned a vineyard.  Early one morning, about 6:00 AM, he hired some day laborers to work in his vineyard for the normal wage of a silver coin per day, and he set them to work.

“About 9:00 AM, when he saw some other men in the marketplace doing nothing, he hired them, too, & promised them a fair wage; so they also were set to work.

“Then at 12:00 noon & again at 3:00 PM he hired two other groups of workers in the same way.

“About 5:00 PM, he saw yet another group of men standing idle in the marketplace, so he asked them: ‘Why are you standing here doing nothing?’ ‘No one hired us today,’ they answered. ‘Well, then, you also go & work in my vineyard,’ he told them.

“When evening came, the vineyard owner told his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, starting with those who were hired last and ending with those who were hired first.’

“The men who had begun to work at 5:00 PM were paid a silver coin each. So when the men who were the first to be hired came to be paid, they assumed they would receive more; but they were also paid one silver coin each.

“As they took their pay, they complained to the vineyard owner: ‘These men worked only one hour, but we did a full day’s work in the hot sun.  Why did you pay them the same as you paid us?’

“The owner answered, ‘Listen, friends, I haven’t cheated you. You agreed to do a day’s work for one silver coin, and that’s what you’ve been paid.  If I want to pay the men who were hired last the same as I paid you, don’t I have that right?  Or are you jealous because I am generous?'”

When Jesus concluded, “Those who are last will be first, and those who are first will be last,” his students began to see that this idea could be applied in different ways . . .

LORD, please help us to love whoever You choose, whenever You choose them.

What helps you love new believers?  What gets in the way of that love?

(162) Matthew 20:1-16

Double Rejection

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How have you rejected the world & how has the world rejected you?

Jesus’ students were flabbergasted (161)!  They began asking who could possibly be assured of salvation from hell, if not rich people.

Jesus looked directly at each of them and answered, “It’s impossible for any man to save himself, but it’s not impossible for God to save someone.  Everything is possible for God!”

Then Peter spoke up, “Look, Master, we have turned away from worldly wealth to follow you. What will we receive in heaven?”

Jesus replied, “When I sit on my glorious throne in heaven, then you twelve witnesses will also sit on thrones, and the examples of your lives will become the standard for the twelve tribes of Israel.

“Everyone of you who has left worldly wealth or family, for my sake & for the sake of the good news about God’s kingdom, will receive a hundred times more in this age – of homes & families & possessions.  But you will receive persecutions as well.

“However, in the age to come, you will receive glorious life which continues forever!

“So you, who some people thought would be last in line to enter heaven, will actually be first.  And those people, who should have been first in line to enter heaven, will end up being last.”

LORD, please help us to love living & dying for Your glory.

How have you rejected the world & how has the world rejected you?

(161) Matthew 19:25-30, Mark 10:26-31, Luke 18:26-30

Through The Eye Of A Needle

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What things, that you can’t take to heaven, have you not yet given away?

As Jesus was starting on his way again, a man ran up to him (160).   He knelt before Jesus, and asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to receive life that will continue forever in heaven?”

“Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “No man is truly good.  Only God is truly good.”

Then Jesus continued, “You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder. Do not commit adultery.  Do not steal.  Do not accuse anyone falsely.  Do not cheat.  Respect your father and your mother.  Love your neighbor as you love yourself. . .'”

“Teacher,” the man interrupted, “all my life, I have obeyed all these commandments.”

Looking directly at him with love, Jesus replied, “You need only one more thing. Sell everything you have & give the money to the poor.  For this, you will receive an abundance of riches in heaven.

“And when you are no longer dependent on, enslaved by, or addicted to your worldly wealth, then come & follow me.”

When the man heard this, he went away — very sad, because he was very rich & he was unwilling to part with his worldly wealth.

Jesus looked around at his students and said to them, “It’s really hard for rich people to enter the kingdom of God.”

His students were shocked, especially when Jesus repeated, “It’s really hard to enter the kingdom of God! It’s actually harder for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God, than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle!”

LORD, please help us to love giving away everything, in love for others.

What things, that you can’t take to heaven, have you not yet given away?

(160) Matthew 19:16-24, Mark 10:17-23, Luke 18:18-25

Learn From Children

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How do you keep growing your unquestioning childlike faith?

Another time, some people brought children to Jesus, for him to lay his hands on them & bless them (159).

But Jesus’ students started scolding those people for bringing the children.

When Jesus noticed this, he was upset with his students & said to them: “Let the children come to me, and don’t stop them.  God’s kingdom is intended for them, too.

 “In fact, unless you receive God as your king, with unquestioning childlike faith, you will never enter God’s kingdom.”

Then Jesus began taking the children in his arms & blessing them.

LORD, please help us to love trusting You with childlike faith.

How do you keep growing your unquestioning childlike faith?

(159) Matthew 19:13-15, Mark 10:13-16, Luke 18:15-17

Match Made In Heaven

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Who are some people in your life who faithfully honor God in their marriage?

When Jesus had finished teaching truths about God, he left Galilee and went into the territory of Judea on the east side of the Jordan River (158). Large crowds continued to follow him, and he continued healing their sicknesses.

Once, some Pharisees came to Jesus & tried to trap him into saying things for which he could be condemned.  They asked him, “Does our law allow a man to divorce his wife for any reason?”

Jesus answered, “Haven’t you read that in the beginning God made people male and female? And God says, ‘In marriage, a man leaves his father & mother and is united with his wife, and the two become one.’  So, in God’s eyes, they are no longer two individuals but one union. And no man may separate what God has joined together.”

(The diagram in this post simply illustrates that, as husband & wife each grow closer to God, they necessarily grow closer to one another.)

The Pharisees pressed Jesus, “Then why did Moses record in the law that a man may give his wife a divorce notice & send her away?”

Jesus answered, “Moses gave you permission to divorce your wives because you’re so hard to teach & so slow to learn.  But that was not the idea in the beginning.

“What God originally intended about marriage means that any man, who has divorced his wife, commits adultery (or the sin of sexual cheating) when he marries another woman.  In the same way, any woman, who divorces her husband, commits adultery when she marries another man.”

Later, Jesus’ students asked him privately, “If that’s God’s idea of marriage, isn’t it better not to marry?” Jesus answered, “This teaching doesn’t apply to everyone, but only to those whom God has called into marriage.

“Some people are unable live in marriage, as God intended, and so they shouldn’t marry. Some people are born incapable of marriage, some are made incapable of marriage, and some choose not to marry because God has called them to be completely dedicated to growing his kingdom.

“But anyone who is able to live in marriage, as God intended, should definitely do so.”

LORD, please help us to love returning to Your plan for marriage.

Who are some people in your life who faithfully honor God in their marriage?

(158) Matthew 19:1-12, Mark 10:1-12