Gifted
What is the proper reaction to seeing something unbelievable? As an avid fan of college football I have noticed the rise of what commentators call the surrender cobra. After any shocking play cameras will survey the crowd and find a student with both hands on their head in disbelief. The surrender cobra has become the default reaction to seeing an amazing play in college football.
In our lives with God amazing things happen all the time, and when they do we are called to react accordingly. Our story this week is the story of one woman’s reaction to the amazing things she has seen Jesus do. Check out the story below:
Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him.3 Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected,5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” 6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7 “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial."
Mary’s natural reaction was to go big in light of the amazing things she had seen. Even all these years later we can learn a great deal from the example of Mary. Most significantly we learn that following Jesus demands our everything. We will unpack this idea in three ways:
We notice that big actions lead to big responses
We understand that we can give big gifts
We see that giving is about the heart
We will see you Wednesday!
