Before His date with the cross of Calvary, Jesus was a guest in the house of a man known as Simon the leper. It is reasonable to believe that this man, no longer a leper, healed by Christ Himself, invited Him into his house as a token of his appreciation. While He was in the house, a woman came and poured a expensive ointment on His head. In those days, such an act was a sign of great respect and many bible scholars believe the woman was Mary, Lazarus’ sister, since it happened in their hometown of Bethany. This act of love and devotion did not go well at all with the Disciples because they thought that such a costly perfume could have been sold with the proceeds going to the poor. In other words, they viewed it as a waste. What they couldn’t understand yet was that in anything that is done for Christ, what matters most is the intent of the heart. In fact, in any good work that is done for Christ or for others because of love for Him, God always looks at the heart. Because that is true, Jesus corrected His Disciples’ position by saying: “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me.” (Matthew 26:10) Three verses later, we read that He also said: “Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”
Today, our entire nation is honoring those who have or are serving in the military branches, and rightfully so, in particular those who paid the ultimate price. I am glad that someone long ago was wise enough to set apart a particular day every year to honor our veterans. After God, we have what we have because of their sacrifice. Think about this: If Jesus commanded that the story of the woman who poured an expensive ointment on His head be told alongside the gospel message, can you imagine how He feels about those who have given their lives for others? May we never forget to honor and be grateful to them.
By the same token, I trust you will never forget this eternal truth: Anything you do for Christ or for others because of your love for Him, is worthy to be memorialized by Him. In other words, He will never forget it. And like the woman in the story, once in a while what you do for the Lord will not only be misunderstood by others, it may be criticized as well. Please don’t let that stop or discourage you. In fact, maybe someday, what you have done in His name may also become a story many will share for many generations.
God’s word for today: (2 Corinthians 5:14) “For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died.”
