Monday, April 14, 2025

Listen to the Word

While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. (Matthew 26:6-7)

For some reason the scene in today’s verses reminds me of a winning football coach receiving a Gatorade shower. Except Jesus doesn’t get dunked in a sticky sports drink, but in “very expensive perfume.” The next few verses make clear that as the scent of the woman’s lavish gesture fills the room, so do the complaints of Jesus’ disciples. They think her fragrant offering is wasteful. But Jesus praises the woman’s reckless gift, saying that it is preparation for his coming burial.

We tend to want to be reasonable with our worship of Christ – we wouldn’t want to sing too loud or serve too long or give too much. But Jesus deserves more than a reasonable amount of worship. There’s no such thing as wasting something when we give it to him.

Live the Word

Resist the urge to be tame and proper in your discipleship today – find a way you can go beyond what is reasonable in expressing your love for Jesus.