Now, turn with me in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 14.
And I'm going to be reading from verse 1 through verse 11 of Mark, I meant.
If I said Matthew, I was wrong, it's Mark 14.
And we're looking at a passage that occurred on the Wednesday before Jesus' death.
And in the Gospel of Mark, this is getting into the final sections.
And it tells us about our Lord Jesus Christ and what he went through before his death.
If you're reading in your Bibles, it may have a heading that says, Jesus Anointed at Bethany.
And that's true.
Let's also look deeper inside of this passage to see what it says to us today.
Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away.
And the chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Jesus secretly
and kill him.
But not during the festival, they said, or the people may riot.
And while he was in Bethany reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Lepper, a woman
came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume made of pure gnar.
She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.
And some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, why this waste of perfume?
It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor.
And they rebuked her harshly.
Leave her alone, said Jesus.
Why are you bothering her?
She has done a beautiful thing to me.
Poor, you will always have with you.
And you can help them any time you want.
But you will not always have me.
She did what she could.
She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial.
Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will
also be told in memory of her.
Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priest to betray Jesus to them.
And they were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money.
So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.
Let's pray.
And ask God to bless what we've read for our lives.
Our Heavenly Father, be with your church this morning.
Help us to peer into the gospels, find out what you have in mind for our lives.
And may we come away more dedicated to following you because of your grace.
Hear our prayer this morning.
Amen.
What comes to your mind when I say the word extravagant?
Perhaps you think of Jeff Bezos and all the pictures you can find of him on his yacht off
the Italian Riviera and his homes.
That's a lot of money to spend on vacations, boats and homes.
Or perhaps we think of the stars and starlets with their great homes, their many cars, their
entourage and their clothes.
I would say that's extravagant.
Think of Brad Pitt.
I believe he owns a wine vineyard somewhere in France.
He also has the money to spend on such vacations, which by our standard they're extravagant.
Or remember Michael Jackson, who basically had a theme park in his backyard.
That's extravagant.
And usually when we think about that word extravagant, it is with negative connotations.
Means for example, if you look up the word dictionary, going beyond reasonable or the
proper limit.
Unreasonable.
Excessive.
It's synonymous with wastefulness and lavishness.
And if you are good middle class folk, like most of you here, we don't believe in being
extravagant.
It's a waste of money.
It goes against those middle class attitudes and values.
But does the Bible ever approve of extravagance?
I'd have to say to you, yes.
It approves of it when it comes to Jesus Christ, the Savior, the King, the Lord of this world.
J.C.
Rodd, commentator from the past said, people may think it's all right to be extravagant
to worldly things, but to Christians they say no.
That's simply not what the Bible says.
Here what we've just read is a person, a woman, who gave up a very, very expensive bottle
of perfume to anoint Jesus Christ.
If you go back to the Old Testament and look at the expense that was given to building the
temple, God approved.
Came up with the designs for it.
So here what we need to think about is the extravagance of the Christian life.
And if you have a problem with that, then you've got a problem with the Bible.
And as we look at this passage, I want you to notice two things.
First is there is the antithesis of an extravagant devotion.
In other words, there are those who oppose it, and then there's the example of that extravagant
devotion.
Now if you look at this passage, you've actually got three parts.
You've got the opening sections, which tell of the Pharisees.
Then you've got the disciples in the middle who are not thrilled with what this woman did.
And at the end, you've got the story of Judas setting up to betray Jesus Christ.
In those parts of this narrative here, what you have is really the antithesis, the opposite
of an extravagant devotion.
And let's begin here with the Pharisees and the teachers of Israel because the opposite
of that extravagant inheritance is hatred for Jesus Christ.
Now the Pharisees, they're the leadership and what are they trying to do?
They're out to kill Jesus.
It says so in verse one.
And this is not the first time they've been up to this.
In chapter three, verse six of Mark's Gospel, after he healed a man on the Sabbath, we know
there there's a plot to get rid of Jesus.
And 1111, after he clears out the temple, there's a plot there to get rid of Jesus.
And why do they not like Jesus?
They fear him.
If you look, it says they're not willing to do this during the festival or the people
may riot.
Because they realize the people are starting to follow Jesus and they're not following
the established religious rulers of the land.
In fact, in chapter 11, verse 18, it says, the chief priests and the teacher of the law
feared him because the crowd was amazed at his teaching.
They are losing prestige.
They are losing power.
And ruling authorities don't like that about Jesus Christ.
Now back in the 80s, there is a story of a pastor, a reverent chief from China.
Because of his devotion to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, he was sent to prison where he was
harshly treated and he was beaten.
And on his release, you could still see the marks of those who had mistreated him in prison.
And why was that true of him?
Because the government authorities fear Christianity and what it means.
Because Christianity says there's a greater ruler than whoever is running China at the
time being.
And here is what one of their newspapers said.
Because the Chinese saw what was happening in Eastern Europe when all of those nations
were revolting against the Soviet Union.
And it was because of the church in many instances.
Here's what the Chinese newspaper wrote.
If China does not want a scene to be repeated in its land, it must strangle the baby while
it is still in the manger.
That was from a state-run newspaper.
Do you see what was going on there?
Fear of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Fear of his lordship.
And so what is the opposite of an extravagant devotion?
It is hatred.
It is a fear of the living Christ.
A fear that you may lose control of your life.
That's why people don't want to give him any extravagant devotion.
We think today, why is it that people don't want to come to church?
We're living in a generation that's blowing the church off.
Why?
Because they don't want to have anything to do with the Lord Jesus Christ who is sovereign
over their lives.
That's part of the reason.
So they're not going to give him any devotion at all.
An example of the antithesis, the opposite of devotion is hatred.
But you've also got to look here.
And this is what touches us a little more.
It's not only hatred, but it's a misplaced priority that short circuits our devotion
to Christ.
Now look at what's happening here.
They are in Simon the Lepper's house.
And there is a woman who comes in.
It's probably Mary.
It's probably Mary and Martha and Lazarus.
And she comes in and pours some perfume that was very, very expensive.
That perfume may have been from India.
And it tells us it's worth 300 dinari.
That is about a year's worth of work.
Now why would this woman have that in first place?
Well, it was sort of a status symbol back then.
You could have people over your house and say, oh, look, look at this perfume I have.
We got it from India.
And everyone would be impressed.
Very expensive.
But what does she do?
She takes it.
She breaks the bottle that costs a year's wage with the perfume.
And she anoints Jesus for his death.
And what do the disciples say?
They grumble about it, don't they?
They say such things as, why this waste of perfume?
It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor.
And that probably resonates with some of us, doesn't it?
Because we care about the poor, don't we?
We could give that money to the poor.
Oh, think of how that would help them.
But there's something else we've got to understand about the Christian life.
There is a higher priority than helping the poor.
It is worshiping Christ.
That's the highest priority.
And that's what the disciples don't get.
Matthew Henry said this, a common cherry to the poor will not excuse from a particular
act of piety to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now I know we live in a world where we are to care about people.
That is the ruling paradigm today.
But as Christians, while we are told by Jesus to be concerned for the poor, we always keep
in mind there is something greater, the worship of Jesus Christ.
And let me tell you how people get misplaced, priorities confused in their lives.
Story is told about a woman.
She lives in Texas.
99 degrees out.
And she locked her daughter in the car.
And she couldn't find her keys.
The child is dying, turning blue, and the woman is running around.
She doesn't know what to do.
And she's hysterical.
But then there was a fireman who was next to the car, who sees all this, grabs a car,
puts a hammer, runs over, breaks the window, and gets the child out.
Now you would think that fireman would be a hero in that woman's eyes, right?
Wrong.
Do you know what she was upset about?
That he damaged the car.
Misplaced priorities.
What's most important, the life of your child or your car?
In the Christian life, what's most important?
Jesus or something else?
Our priority one in this church must always be our devotion to Christ.
And sometimes people may look at the church and they say, oh, what a waste of time.
Oh, what a waste of money.
It's not.
And to think otherwise that there is something more important than worshiping Jesus, you're
just wrong.
Christ is number one.
What are we saying this morning?
Beat out my vision.
Or the motto of my former college, in all things Christ preeminent.
That should be the vision of all of us.
But now let's take a closer look at that example.
Let's take a look at that example of extravagant devotion and why should any of us give like
this woman gives?
Anointing a guest, that was normal.
But a year's worth, wages, that is extravagant.
But look what it says in verse eight.
She did what she could.
She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial.
She must have known something about Jesus's future.
She must have known he was going to die on the cross for sinners.
Somehow or another, she knew that Jesus Christ was going to go to Calvary, stretched out,
nailed, wrists, ankles, having to pull himself up so he could continue to breathe his side
pierced.
And why was he going through this great deal of pain for your salvation and for miracles?
Mary's salvation.
He was making a way so that Mary could live and have everlasting life.
And when we think of what is valuable to you, isn't that valuable?
Isn't that the most important thing in your life?
It's not success in this world.
It's not being first in school or work or in an athletic contest.
It is not getting a gold medal in the Olympics.
What it is is being in a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.
And Mary, I think, has some idea of what her Savior is going to go through for her.
And I hope we do too, especially as we come to the Lord's table.
You don't like to suffer.
I don't like to suffer.
But Jesus did for you.
And I also want you to notice another reason here why he should be willing to be extravagant
with the Lord in his work.
Look at verses eight and nine.
She did what she could.
She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial.
Only I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will
also be told in memory of her.
Jesus is saying what she has done is not going to be forgotten.
I know God knows she will not be dismissed for her devotion.
And we think of our own devotion to the Lord.
God doesn't forget.
John says, my Father will honor those who honor and serve me.
The Psalmist says, a righteous man will be remembered forever.
And so do the adults who are gathered here today.
Why send money to this church?
Could be using it for something else.
No, couldn't you?
The boat, a new car, your house?
Why spend all that money here by giving us your tithes and offerings?
I'll tell you why.
Because Jesus knows and Jesus rewards.
Why is it young people that you should give your time to the church or to youth group?
You could be out with your friends.
You could be doing something that is supposedly fun.
I'll tell you why, because Jesus sees your devotion and he is approved.
The God man who reigns in the universe, he approves.
Businessmen, why should you spend your time on Sundays in a church?
Perhaps for the morning service, perhaps also for the evening service.
Why?
You could be making more money.
You should be at your office getting more things done.
Why?
Because Jesus knows of your devotion.
And it is not as if he is rejecting that devotion.
He approves of that devotion.
And I want you to think now of some things that could come to your mind.
Let's think now about God on his throne.
Does he see the elderly woman with arthritic hands who comes to a little 20-member church
writes that check from her retirement and gives to the kingdom of God?
He notices.
Or for the middle-aged Chinese pastor who is being threatened by the government, receives
very little pay, God notices.
Or for the aged elder who gives a large part of his time, which many would consider extravagant
to his local church.
God knows.
And God won't forget.
I think what we've got to keep in our minds is such extravagant devotion to the Lord Jesus
Christ should not be rejected.
Oh, there will be others who say, you can go here and you can go there and it will be
much more exciting on a Sunday morning.
But I can't get over the picture of Mary breaking that very expensive jar of perfume
in her own way with her own means giving her all for Jesus because it's worth it.
Let's pray.
Our Heavenly Father, if we have sinned by not thinking of your extravagant grace, forgive
us.
And in our own lives now, in response to the good news of Jesus Christ, help us to come
before your throne and give our all to you, Jesus.
Be with your people and help them to know that what they have done for this church in
their own way will never be forgotten by you, but is remembered and approved of by the Lord
Jesus Christ.
Here are our prayers.
Amen.