1Therefore, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2So they made Him a dinner there, and Martha was serving; and Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him. 3Mary then took a pound of very expensive perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, the one who intended to betray Him, said, 5“Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the proceeds given to poor people?” 6Now he said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he kept the money box, he used to steal from what was put into it. 7Therefore Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of My burial. 8For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me.” — John 12:1–8 (NASB)
Mary’s act of washing Jesus’ feet, anointing them with costly perfume, and wiping them with her hair symbolizes how we should serve Jesus in the ministry He has called us to. Just like Mary, we should offer only our best. He deserves the best, not our second-best efforts.
Be dedicated and committed to your tasks, time, effort, and resources. Mediocrity must not be in our vocabulary.
Our service or volunteering is an act of worship. And although we are called ‘volunteers’, we are in essence, ‘servants’. We cannot fully serve with commitment and dedication if we don’t recognize that we are in fact lowly servants who actually deserve nothing from God, but death for our sins, if Christ hadn’t graciously saved us from that condemnation on the cross. Having that humble attitude can help us serve Him with gratitude.
Remember the song, “Lord, I Offer my Life” — whatever talents, skills, and gifts that we have are all from the Lord. We should not be arrogant then if we are in the ministry. We are not above the congregation so we should not feel entitled. Thus, let us remember our ministry should be marked by an attitude of worship, humility, and focus. Let’s fix our eyes on our Lord, keeping ourselves humble, submitting to authorities, and, above all, worshiping Him who is worthy of our excellent service!
Reflection Points:
- What hinders you from surrendering to God and offering your most precious resources in serving Him?
- What should be our attitude when we serve people through our ministry?
- Is there anything in your life right now that prevents you from having the attitude of Mary and giving excellence in God’s ministry?
Prayer:
Father, as we ponder on how Mary gave her best and extravagant possession to Jesus, may You remind us always to have that same attitude of surrendering and giving our best in serving You and your people, giving You the same dedication and love that You gave us when You died in our place for our sins. We can never return the kindness, goodness, mercy, and love that You have given us. But through giving excellence in our service, may we offer You what we have, because You take pleasure not in the sacrifice itself but in a heart that is wholly devoted to You. We pray this in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
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Writer: Emmanuel Orduña