His Worth is Greater Than Our Wealth vv.3-6

Nard is oil derived from a plant and imported from Northern India.  So about 11 ½ ounces of expensive perfume.  1 denarii was a day’s wage and 300 denarii was a year’s wage.  Let’s compare this to minimum wage today, this would be around $25,000.  Judas will later sale Jesus for 30 pieces which would have been around $1000 compared to today’s wages.  In both Matthew and Mark, the perfume was in an alabaster jar.

Mary loved Jesus, she treasured Christ above wealth.  That is trust, that is true treasure!  She was radically against the culture showing such a display of affection for Jesus in public.  Jewish women rarely, if ever let their hair down in public.  You don’t need to read into this anymore than a pure love for God, a willingness to become undignified for what truly matters.     

Judas loved money, he treasured money above Christ.  That is truly tragic!

Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Matthew 19:29 “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.”

His Ways are Greater Than Our Worry vv.7-8

What does worry do?  It says that God cannot handle the situation!  It makes the Creator of life seem unable to correct the storm we are going through.

Matthew 6:25-26 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

Philippians 4:4-7 “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

 

His Willingness is Greater Than Our Wrongs vv.9-11

So they planned to kill Jesus and Lazarus.  Sounds like a mob show!  Let’s get the leader and anyone that has been effected by this “do gooder”!  I’d say that it was you and I that put Christ on the cross. 

I’d like to have the same reaction as Mary!  Using my best to give honor to Christ!  What about Peter when Jesus did the miracle of bringing the fish in the boat?  Peter bowed down and fell at His feet!  He is worthy of our best!  

Isaiah 53:3-10 

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.  5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.  6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? 9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

Do you care that He so radically cares about you?  What changes will you make in order to bring Him glory?  His value is worth our best!