"Companions of Jesus" (Acts 4:5-14)

Introduction

What a great compliment was paid to Peter and John, here in Acts … to be described as “companions of Jesus”. Could we be easily described in the same way … as “companions of Jesus”? What evidence would be available to support this description? These are the challenging thoughts that enter my mind when I get to verse 13.

In a recent book by Phil Cooke & Jonathan Bock, they provocatively ask, “Why did the early church succeed where we are failing?” They go on to say … that the early church did things that astonished the Romans: they took in their abandoned babies, they helped the sick and wounded, they restored dignity to slaves, they were willing to die for what they believed – after a while, their actions so softened the hearts of the Romans, that they wanted to know more about who these Christians were, and who was the God they represented.

Context

This passage, from Acts chapter 4, is the culmination of the incident where a man that had been lame from birth went walking and leaping and praising God … following his meeting with Peter and John. This incident, of miraculous healing, caused a bit of a ruckus, and Peter and John were arrested and brought before the ruling authorities to explain themselves. You would have thought everyone would be happy about such an event – a man who had been unable to walk from birth and likely living in destitute conditions begging for food … having been liberated! Good eh!!

But such is the human propensity to be negative, and want to keep their own measure of power, there had to be an interrogation. What was Peter and John’s crime? We read earlier that they had upset the ruling authorities by claiming that Jesus had risen from the dead. These rulers thought they had dealt with this – thought that they had got rid of Jesus and his threat to their seat of power. They did NOT want to have any aspect of Jesus’ mission carry on; they wanted the memory of Jesus to die away! They thought if they could threaten Peter and John enough … they would retract this notion of Jesus still healing people.

What a Change!

In response, it was Peter who spoke, and this is significant, given what happened in the hours leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion. This was a very different Peter now! We know that Peter had been very scared and denied even knowing Jesus three times. Under guilt and shame, he even began to give up following Jesus and went back to the fishing business. But very quickly, he was met by the resurrected Jesus, forgiven, reinstated as a disciple, and given leadership within the future mission. Most impacting of all, Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, and never looked back from there!

Yet this still was a remarkable change in a very short time, and we should never underestimate how hard it is to muster courage in the face of fear, failure and disappointment. If the resurrection and the Holy Spirit were to make such an amazing difference in the life of Peter, then Peter was going to have to be willing and open and ready enough for all this to happen – it was still a choice Peter had to make! Through humility, Peter was indeed ready to embrace a new and different future – even under a real and even greater threat to his life!

Peter immediately and confidently testified to the reality of Jesus’ resurrection; and to the fact that this previously ‘lame’ man had been healed because Jesus was alive and still active in the affairs of humankind. And at great personal risk, Peter also pointed out rather strongly, that although certain people had sought to destroy Jesus – quite clearly they had failed in their objectives. Jesus remains the centre piece of human functioning, and would be the cornerstone … the major building-block … of God’s Kingdom.

The Result

On the basis of their clear and strong testimony, though they were NOT trained public speakers, together with the clear evidence of the 'fruit' of their ministry, Peter, with John standing next to him, were described by their interrogators … as "companions of Jesus". The act of healing stood for itself - it could NOT be denied.

The people of that district knew well the circumstances of this formerly ‘lame’ man's life (refer Acts 3:9-10); it is later noted that he was 40 years old (4:22). This was an undoubted and significant healing event! If Peter and John were able to effect such remarkable change in this ‘lame’ man's life, when they were clearly just ordinary Galilean fisherman, then something else must be happening. Obviously summoned as a witness in this ‘trial’, this ‘lame’ man just walked in, and stood before them – stunning everybody. This COULD NOT be a hoax!

The rulers would NOT yet be prepared to admit to Jesus’ divinity nor resurrection, but the credibility of the healing, and the disciples’ testimony, could NOT be questioned any further. And (new) possibilities were being raised in these people’s minds. Ultimately, Peter was saying that, on the basis of what has been publicly seen by all, Jesus cannot be sensibly rejected.

The Means

We read in verse 13, that Peter and John acted and spoke with “boldness”. The word translated “boldness” here, also conveys courage and clarity. Peter and John were, in a good way, ‘uninhibited’; meaning they were NOT in any way muddled or fearful in the way they spoke or acted. They were free of inhibitions, and had received wisdom from the Holy Spirit. [They were completely unashamed of their testimony.]

There is a back story to all this! Some time previously, when they were still fearful young disciples, Jesus had said to them, “When they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers and the authorities, do NOT worry about how you are to defend yourselves, or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what you ought to say” (Luke 12:11-12). How true was that!! Because of the progress of their lives under the Holy Spirit, Peter and John knew instinctively what to say … when the moment came.

Peter and John were no longer worried about putting up a ‘defence’ – they didn’t need to be ‘defensive’; for they had on the tip of their tongues the most positive message of all – the positive message of the Gospel! Their words (in tune with their acts of mercy and kindness), cut through, with authenticity, the closed mind-sets and resistance of their detractors. The ruling authorities recognised that these men, Peter and John, not only healed like Jesus healed, but also, that they argued their case with the same intensity and credibility as Jesus had. Indeed, they were “companions of Jesus”.

Our View

As we read this text 20 centuries down the track, our hearts are enlivened, and our faith is enriched, as we conclude that the resurrected Jesus was working through these disciples. Yet we also sense the challenge being put to us! Can we be so confident and so real and so fruitful and so effective ... despite being normal and human ... that people will see us as "companions of Jesus"?

Lying behind what has been translated here as “companions of Jesus” is the idea of ‘having been with Jesus’. This means walking with Jesus, having learned from Jesus. This means travelling on the same pathways as Jesus walked, and heading in the same direction toward the same destination. Companions or friends going on a hike together … ideally start to together, travel together and finish together. This is to choose to walk the road of life with Jesus.

This means that we will be achieving two things: firstly, directing other people’s thoughts … beyond ourselves … toward the person of Jesus – as the old hymn said, “speaking in living echoes of [Jesus’] tone” {“Lord speak to me, that I may speak – in living echoes of Thy tone”}. And, secondly, we sometimes get to contribute to some miracles – leading to transformed lives. As we live in the light, we get to shine brightly, bearing grace and peace (often against the norm).

Application

This all does require the words of our mouth and the practical output of our heart ... to be totally in sync! We have to be worshipping – lifting up the name of Jesus, explaining who Jesus is and what he means to us; at the same time as reaching out our hands with serving love. And when we are loving and serving our neighbour with a practical hand and hospitality, we would want to be able to point to the One – Jesus – who has made all the difference for us, and can have that same effect for others. This is what we see Peter and John doing … acts of mercy and kindness in the name of Jesus – therefore people came to describe them as "companions of Jesus".

For maximum influence, we need to be careful NOT to be distracted by minor issues that having little bearing on the mission of God. When all is said and done, it is NOT the correctness of our beliefs or the breadth of our knowledge that will save anyone, but rather the fruit of our lives. We have to guard against becoming fixated on things that will just bring division, confusion or just be a turn-off for others. Jesus was content with his major focus on serving through love of neighbour, that led him all the way down the path of sacrifice.

An Example From Modern Literature

What I loved most about reading the novel "The Robe", was how when the Roman tribune Marcellus, who was part of the squad who crucified Jesus, actually became convinced that Jesus had risen from the dead and thus was the Son of God, he became more and more transformed into the image of Jesus each day, and because of this, had such a remarkable effect on everyone he met. In his previous life he was only receiving orders, obeying orders, being used on the one hand, and being feared and hated on the other. Now things were totally different. People couldn’t believe the transformation that had occurred, and the light that Marcellus now exuded.

The people around Marcellus were so keen to seek and find an explanation for all this. Just through the character of his new life, whole communities changed, newly expressing love and compassion; and (in this novel) the barriers between masters and slaves started breaking down - because it just didn't make sense anymore. If we truly follow Jesus, lots of things that may have seemed logical or important - just don't make sense anymore! This should be so simple! Just living as Jesus taught us to!! And when those challenges and threats come - there is enough of the life of Jesus available to us (in Word and in Spirit) that we can still emulate him.

Conclusion

What is there in our lives that demands an explanation? Joy, hope, peace, purpose? What "fruit" do we need to be growing in? The fruit of the Spirit (in Galatians 5:22-23) is always a good guide.

Also, I reckon in the teaching of Jesus himself we find some 'no-brainers' (yet, admittedly, these often require a preparedness for some degree of sacrifice):

• peace-loving & peace-making;

• speaking the truth (rather than half-truths or lies or being divisively secretive) – following Jesus entails being a person who tells the "truth" – not only the truth of the gospel, but also the "truth" about who we are (as we deal in the reality of each moment); in this way we become a more trustworthy community member;

• a desire to maintain and reconcile relationships where at all possible (rather than divide and conquer); and,

• looking after the vulnerable and hurting.

While these are often counter-cultural and against natural human tendencies, they remain ESSENTIAL behaviour patterns of the growing Christian, and prerequisites for being seen as "companions of Jesus".

"A Significant Life"

Introduction

Our reading from Acts chapter 2:22-36, is part of Peter’s first sermon following the coming of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. Here we see Peter talking about a significant life, the most significant life of all – Jesus. Peter spoke these words, to convey to his particular audience, how extraordinary Jesus was and is. Now, according to Peter, the whole world will turn on our response to Jesus. Jesus performed wonders of great help to many, and when he was rejected and crucified, he rose again – because it was (just) impossible for such a one as him to be held by death. God has made Jesus both Lord and Messiah.

Jesus is the ultimate significant life. How can we too then, have a significant life?

Following Jesus, of course, yes … but how?

How might we assess ourselves, or develop ways in which we know we are following Jesus?

Today, I have six areas we could consider. I acknowledge writer Robert Jeffress for leading me into some of these thoughts.

Six Areas of Significance

1. Discovering your Unique Purpose

Jesus knew his unique purpose. Even though there were many facets to his incarnation, his unique purpose was summed up this way – “For the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life [as] a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Others could participate in teaching, healing, serving, and loving enemies, but only Jesus could provide a sacrifice that could bring the possibility of forgiveness for all.

Every follower of Jesus has general purpose in life. Bringing glory to God in their actions and choices. Witnessing to the effectiveness of having Jesus central to one’s life – sharing the good news. Loving our neighbour. But each of us also have particular unique callings upon our time and abilities. This is also linked to our spiritual gifts. Sometimes this calling will be our profession or career as well, e.g. aid workers, pastors, theological educators. What we do as a job can also be what we were born to do, and through this we make a significant contribution to the lives of others and the whole community, e.g. teachers, doctors, nurses. Then sometimes we earn a living and support our family through what we are good at, and then we have a calling to use the rest of our time in God’s service doing other things. In each of these ways, when we come together in the church, we have the different callings coming together to form a very comprehensive mix of ministry. We might think of the quilt where people provide different squares and it’s all stitched together. We might think of the jigsaw puzzle, that is only complete when all the unique pieces are clipped together. We might think of Paul’s ‘body’ metaphor, where all the various body parts are required to make up a functioning cohesive whole.

We should be able to answer the question – why specifically am I here? Do you know your particular calling … the contribution/s you are meant to be making?? There are NO passengers in the Kingdom of God. What is your particular role in church and community??? And these roles are ALWAYS to be performed as part of a church body, NEVER in isolation. Even if you are working at some distance, like a missionary in a far-flung area, you must ALWAYS be accountable to the Body of Christ! Those that have found themselves distant from the church, need to find their way back to be truly in God’s will.

If you need help discovering your unique purpose, then please come and speak with me. There are various means we can use to discover the answer to this.

2. Determining to Influence Culture

The classic text here is: “You are the light of the world. {A city built on a hill cannot be hid.} No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but [rather] on the lampstand; and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works, and give glory to your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16). This is what Jesus taught and lived.

The first reaction many Christians have to an increasingly anti-Christian culture … is to retreat, withdraw (like a turtle pulling its head and legs into its shell). Or, they might just judgmentally lash out, without any consideration for the cause and reasons behind such a cultural reaction. Or, Christians might just go into a ‘holy-huddle’ or self-protection mode (confining the rest of the world to hell). Each of these are inappropriate and unbiblical responses. Jesus made it clear, that rather than ever isolating ourselves, we are all supposed to engage in attempts to make a positive difference. The peace and hope and quality of our lives are supposed to shine like light in the darkness. Sometimes we need to consciously rise above how we might humanly react, and make sure that the new nature is replacing the old.

As one example, are we people of the truth? Have we left lies, half-truths, deception and secretiveness behind? Have we dispensed with that selfish divide-and-conquer mentality. To be significant in God’s eyes, we will need to be people of truth. Another example is the power of forgiveness and peacemaking, which often shines a very bright light; as does the attitude of loving even those who persecute us. And serving others, especially the most vulnerable and oppressed, is a key to influencing culture in a better direction. Living with a view to the needs of others is certainly counter-cultural in today’s individualistic mindset.

A good exercise … might be to consider at the end of each day, either individually or in family groups, how each of us has influenced culture in a good Jesus-like way that day!

3. Discerning God’s Will through Prayer

Jesus showed that he was completely tuned into God’s will, even when under severe temptation. Yet, when facing a torturous death, he still needed to call upon a particular resource – and that was prayer. Even though Jesus was Son of God, the human experience was so real for Jesus, that he felt the need to bridge a feeling of separation from God through prayer – “Jesus said, ‘Abba Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet not what I want, but what you want” (Mark 14:36).

The reality of a difficult situation was expressed, but there was also a statement of absolute trust in God’s wisdom. Now, if Jesus needed prayer to stay within God’s will for his life, we too would obviously need prayer on an ongoing basis, and in most, if not all, circumstances. It’s as we spend time with God in prayer, individually, and in groups, that we gain clarity about what we are supposed to be doing.

It’s amazing, that when I have shared a prayer point with a group, that the answer comes through the way another expresses their prayer for this particular concern. Just sharing things out loud, and praying with others, brings new clarity and perspective to what may have previously been a blur. I like Psalm 36:9 – “For with you [referring to God] is the fountain of life; in Your light, we see light”.

Our prayers need to be persistent, reactive to the circumstances around us, and proactive toward a better vision of the future.

4. Leaving the Past Behind

There were those that left everything to follow Jesus. There were also those who seemed to qualify their preparedness to follow. There were still earthly things to attend to, that were seemingly being given higher priority – but Jesus said to them, “No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). Jesus himself showed the way – for when he set his mind toward Jerusalem, at the end of his three-year ministry, he did not waver from his forward progress.

The salvation we are being offered through God’s grace and Jesus’ sacrifice, is powerful enough to deal with each and every issue in our past and present. We can see in the Gospels how the liberation and healing from all dark influences and demonic strongholds can be absolutely complete. Sometimes we need help to realise the full potential of our salvation – but that help is available within God’s church through the Holy Spirit. But maybe sometimes we hold back, keeping a foot in the past … for whatever reason – maybe the old shoes are still comfortable in some ways, maybe we just haven’t been able to trust Jesus enough!? Yet, we have to come to the conclusion, that we should NOT be looking back (other than to the lessons we can learn).

[This can be true as well for seasons in the church, where we need to wholly commit to the new season and leave the old seasons behind. I invited those writing for the annual report this time around to reflect on the past as it relates to the future – so I commend to you prayerful consideration of our annual report.]

Returning to the notion that Jesus has dealt with all the negativity that can beset us – songwriter Lyndon Wesley wrote in his song ‘Life Extraordinary’ the words, “I made my choice – [I’m] not going back to history”! We have to set our face forward … growing and maturing into the image of Jesus. We must eliminate all possibility of retreat! Hedging our bets and holding back is NOT an option. Paul wrote to the Philippian church, “… forgetting what lies behind, and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus” (3:13-14).

The guilt we may have carried in the past has been FORGIVEN! The shame has been lifted! Some disappointment in ourselves may linger, but we must allow the Holy Spirit to carry us forward into God’s plans for our lives … we just MUST!

5. Learning How to Handle Bad Days

There are often battles to be fought – from within and from ‘without’. Jesus knows all about rejection, betrayal and torturous abuse. Yet, on the worst day of his life in many ways, from the cross, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).

As part of life, there are worries, doubts and even despair. We have to deal with our share of bad days that include everything from flat tyres, to sore throats, to having just too much to do (which we might blame on others), to the threat of serious illness, to real dents to our faith. On such days, we will need an extra dose of whatever it is that can assure us of God’s love for us. It could be a psalm in the bible, or a story from the gospels covering how Jesus helped a person in need, or a song we need to sing, or to firmly establish God’s presence through prayer, or to have a coffee with someone who is utterly trustworthy to give us good counsel, or to just consider how this perceived setback fits in the larger story of our lives.

Often when someone hurts us, or offends us … they do not fully appreciate the negativity they have brought to us. Even if they do, and it was deliberate, it is coming from a dark place in them that no doubt has a back story. We cannot let resentment build, because it will only hurt us further, and also badly affect those who live around us. Those who crucified Jesus were evil in their deed, and did so for a variety of reasons, ranging from power to convenience. Yet Jesus still had a view to the bigger picture, as he forgave them from the cross.

We should NOT accept abuse and bullying and negative criticism – such things are never okay, but we need to follow the example of Jesus to get beyond it.

6. Looking at the Legacy We Leave

Jesus realised that when he died, and even when he rose again, that the real impact of all this would be dependent on others. That is why, knowing what lay ahead, Jesus invested very deeply in a group of disciples, who would ultimately be the leaders in taking the mission of Jesus forward. Even though Peter, when put under pressure, denied even knowing Jesus – he was later reinstated in ministry with the commission, “Feed my sheep” (John 21:15-17). This was because a failure like his, still did NOT undermine his magnificent potential!

And, of course, the resurrection of Jesus, and the coming of the Holy Spirit, changes everything. This all set a pattern for the early church to be interested in developing people into Kingdom-building roles through apprenticeship and mentoring (refer Acts 6). Yet this still would not work without Divine assistance. That is why Jesus made sure that the disciples would gather together, and be filled together with the Holy Spirit. Jesus said to his disciples, “See, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). A significant life can NEVER be divorced from the power of the Holy Spirit.

Any serious legacy we can leave behind will be empowered by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit turns good ideas and good intentions into serious advances in the life of a community. We need to invest in others, especially the young, allowing the Holy Spirit to design and guide the outcomes. We need to use our resources, time and energies well, in efforts to build community. Who is it we can invest in? Who is it that we should allow to invest in us??

All Mr Holland wanted to do, in the film ‘Mr Holland’s Opus’, was to write his great symphony. To support his family while he wrote it, he needed to become a music teacher, a prospect he hated the very thought of. As it turned out however, it was NOT the great symphony that became his life’s work, but rather it was the students he invested his personal mentoring into … this became his great ‘opus’!

"God is Available" (Luke 17:11-19)

Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem and entered a village along the way. Jesus was always out and about and available to people. God is always available to us! Sometimes, Jesus would withdraw for rest and prayer, but was soon ready to engage with people all over again. And Jesus had gained a reputation for healing people with all sorts of medical problems. In this case, there were ten people suffering from ‘leprosy’ looking for help.

‘Leprosy’, in these times, was a general term for a variety of skin conditions, whether they were contagious or not. Yet, all these people with obvious skin or flesh issues were grouped together, and shunned from general society. They were forced to live in remote and desolate places, often enduring horrible conditions. These people, therefore, suffered poverty, hunger, mental anguish, and shame (even though they were not at fault).

Legally, they would have to “keep their distance”, and call out ‘unclean, unclean’, if someone who was unaffected came close to their location. So, even though these sufferers (from leprosy) did “keep their distance”, this was still a bold and brave move for them to approach Jesus like this. This also speaks of Jesus’ very public reputation … in being able to help. Given that Jesus was the incarnation of God into the world, we have here an example of the universal availability of God to address even the most complex needs … right across society.

Mercy is what Jesus trades in, and mercy is what the people of God should trade in. Why? Well God, we believe, created this world in love, and therefore is committed to its well-being, and to the well-being of all its inhabitants. We, especially living here, have a witness to God’s creative genius every day. And God continues to reach out to this world in love. And that is why we built this building – because we want to maximise our opportunities to share that message. In just a small way, this building represents God’s caring presence in the world, and availability to each of us.

In those times, when a person with such a skin condition experienced a recovery, they would need to present themselves before their priest to be declared ‘clean’ and healthy, and thereby be allowed to re-enter mainstream life. So, the assumption was, that, as Jesus had shown “mercy” to them, inevitably, they would be declared ‘clean’ and they could return to their neighbourhood. Today, in such a circumstance, people might be sent to their doctor to certify them healthy.

But the centrepiece of this story, is the one person who stopped, turned back, and returned to thank Jesus. This person left his visit to the priest for a bit later, understanding that the remarkable thing that had happened, was purely as a result of connecting with Jesus. I can just imagine this person going on their way, then suddenly realising the significance of the encounter, and the greatness of the person who brought this healing.

There was here, an opportunity, really an invitation … to come back to Jesus for a further blessing … actually for the ultimate blessing! Now feeling free of any restraint, this former “leper” … fell at Jesus’ feet in exultant excited gratitude! He realised that his life had been touched by God, and he wanted more. And with almost a throw-away line, the storyteller informs us that this person was, quote, a “Samaritan” – to remind us that even, and perhaps especially, it may be the least likely who might surprise us all … with their positive response to Jesus.

The ultimate blessing here, as a result of faith in Jesus, was not only physical healing, but also spiritual transformation, or what we often call ‘salvation’. This is where we become ‘whole’ and fully alive. This person’s life was put right! But, before this happened, this person needed to step up … in gratitude and faith, to be able to move forward in life. As we said before, the turning point of the story … is this person’s discontent with his own life situation, his realisation of who could, and who had, helped him, and his active decision to embrace the answer. This story gives us a window … into how Jesus is able to change the course of people’s lives in extraordinary ways.

God is available! If anyone has questions about faith, the Bible, Jesus, maybe even the existence of God – they can know … that we built this place for them. We seek to make our unique contribution toward the spiritual well-being of this community. Because of this, we also seek to assist with the very real and present needs of our neighbours. We want to participate helpfully and encouragingly … in what’s happening all around us. As we represent Jesus as best we can, hopefully getting better at it by the day, we want to show that God is available! Amen!

"Beautiful Service" (Mark 14:1-11)

Introduction

In recent weeks, we have been talking about serving one another, and having the “beautiful feet” of those who share the good news. All good! Yet, sometimes, such things like serving and sharing become tasks on the to-do list, and at busy times can seem hard to fit in. When such things become simply tasks, this can take all the joy out of serving and sharing the good news. This can even set us up for feelings of guilt … for not getting involved.

How can we stop this from happening? This is where we need to understand the source of our serving and sharing. Why do we serve and share? These are not activities that come out of our human capacity, but rather they are endeavours that come out of God’s Spirit working through us. So, sometimes, we need to step back, and reconnect with the source behind our ability to love our neighbour!

Being With

We need to resist the Martha within us, to embrace the Mary. In that famous incident, recorded in Luke’s Gospel (10:38-42), Martha was so busy doing, that she missed an opportunity to just be with Jesus. As important as those tasks no doubt were, Martha was so set on them, that she even criticised Mary for just being with Jesus and listening to him.

This is similar to the point being made in Mark 14. The Gospel of John, if it’s the same incident, actually identifies this woman as Mary (sister of Martha), whereas Mark prefers to keep this woman anonymous (perhaps more highlighting the act over the personality). This woman who poured the perfume over Jesus … was criticised too. There are critics everywhere! Yes, we should be serving the poor, there will always be opportunities to serve the poor, but sometimes we will need to just spend time with Jesus – that will then actually enable us to carry on with that level of serving … especially through tougher times.

We simply need to know and love Jesus!! That is why, when we gather around God’s Word, to consider how we can best serve the interests of God’s Kingdom in the world – for that is the point of bible study – not knowledge, but practice – we also need to spend good time simply worshipping God in Jesus’ Name. We need to, time and time again, commit ourselves to Jesus, and embrace the Holy Spirit’s leadership in the life of our church.

We can be running around seemingly busy with good deeds, but lose the reason and the source behind such activity, i.e. the love and compassion that begins in the heart of God. We might say that there are so many other pressing matters, but are there really?! Do the alternatives really stack up?! Are there easy excuses?!

Losing Our Way

It is NO coincidence, that following this incident (in Mark 14), Judas goes off to betray Jesus – off he goes … to conspire with Jesus’ bitter opponents. Dramatic isn’t it!! Judas clearly failed to appreciate the importance of what this woman had done for Jesus. Judas had been following Jesus for three years, but clearly failed to really understand what he had got into.

Jesus had presented a great ideal for Judas, but without a personal investment in who Jesus was, Judas was NOT going to last the journey. Worse than that, Judas went totally the other way! Judas had NOT allowed himself to fully appreciate and apportion the depth of Jesus into his life. Nor did Judas deal properly with his problematical addiction to money – and this, ironically, cost him everything.

Worship

This woman had encountered Jesus, had experienced being with Jesus, had likely been ministered to by Jesus, and now she responded to him in the most beautiful of ways. Sincere gratitude was spilling over. As this was an expensive liquid, we are left in no doubt that this was an act of lavish worship. Nothing was held back, the perfume was NOT measured in any way. She just broke the jar, and poured it all out!! There was nothing conventional about this, it was radical, extraordinary and impressive! She followed her heart, not caring what others might think!

The NIV translates the last part of verse 6 with Jesus saying, “She has done a beautiful thing to me”. Surely that is something we would want to emulate! Verse 9 points out the importance of all this. This act will be remembered and recorded and read and talked about for ever. It was the most poignant act of worship! Yet, as mentioned before, as this woman is not named here, it is actually the act of worship itself that is the centrepiece – an act that can be emulated and repeated by others – and by us!!

We are not in a position to literally smother Jesus with perfume. But there are other ways we can attend to Jesus. Reading about him. Working out how best to follow him – following his ways of living. Praying to him. Worshipping him – which is an act of gratitude, praise, and commitment. Looking for him in others. Loving who he is. Becoming more like him. 

Sacrifice

Pouring perfume on Jesus’ head resembles the anointing of ancient kings. This woman was saying or demonstrating who Jesus was for her. Jesus was her king. She was lifting up the name of Jesus … as her king. We lift up the name of Jesus … by giving Him our total allegiance – as the King of our kingdom. Because he is our perfect infallible King, we worship Him, and we bear further allegiance … in the way we carry ourselves, in the way in which we live.

There was also, in this woman’s act of anointing, a testimony to the sacrifice Jesus would make for others – for all humanity. It was customary, at the time, for the dead to be prepared for burial with a perfume like this – just like the women were seeking to do … when they found Jesus’ body missing from the tomb. Perhaps all this was unconscious; or perhaps this woman had just been given a deep understanding … of the sacrifice Jesus would soon make. As a condemned crucified criminal, Jesus would not have normally been afforded any anointing. So this woman here, presents a testimony of an innocent serving sacrifice from the Son of God - Jesus.

The question for us, out of this, is how deeply do we appreciate what Jesus has done for us, and what do we do about that (in terms of our relationship with him). Do we find a way, our own way, of pouring perfume over Jesus? The Christian life was NEVER meant to be about soaking up the grace, and living unchanged! That is often called ‘cheap grace’. But we can never really make Christ’s sacrifice less expensive. We can only waste it! The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, was always to bring about transformed lives.

Conclusion

We have been taught to serve others. We have been called, all of us, to share the good news of Jesus. To be able to handle this mission adequately – to be able to pull this off for the long-term – we need to approach Jesus, know Jesus, dwell with Jesus, worship Jesus, learn from Jesus, and love Jesus! It will be Jesus himself then, that fuels our efforts to serve and to share (the good news), and make us effective in bringing forward the Kingdom of God.

Important to the success of any football team is their defence. We see those annoying defenders grabbing at and ‘keeping touch’ on their forward opponents. They need to keep tight on these forwards – the coach tells them to “always keep touch on their opponents … lest they get away from them”. We need to ‘keep touch’ on Jesus; NOT, of course, because there is anything to worry about, but rather … because Jesus is our best friend. Let us never lose touch with Jesus!

How was it that this woman understood what to do, and how to do it, such that it could be described by Jesus as a “good service” or a “beautiful thing”? She must have given Jesus her full attention. If we want to be able to love others for the long haul, we will need to continue to experience the love of Jesus for ourselves first. As we do experience such immeasurable love for ourselves, we will likely, much more naturally, express that love “beautifully” to others. Amen!!