Just an ordinary day

It was no great occasion. It was just an ordinary day. Martha, Mary, and Lazarus were going about their daily routine when suddenly there was a knock on the front door. It was Jesus and His disciples! What a surprise! They did not invite Him. He came out of His own volition. He visited them again. It was six days before the great feast of Pascha or Easter as we know it. How would you and I receive the Master if He decided to visit us unexpectedly?

 

Mary took a vase full spikenard oil; a very rare and expensive perfume used to anoint highly honoured persons and poured half a litre onto Jesus’ feet and wiped it off with her long hair. Spikenard has anti-ageing qualities. The whole room was filled with the soothing fragrance. Judas, the one that would betray Jesus, was offended, and exclaimed, ‘why could she not rather sell the expensive perfume and give to the poor?’ He said this because he was a thief that stole from Jesus’ travelling fund.

 

Jesus defended Mary and said, ‘leave her alone. She did what she could and what she did was for the preparation of my death and burial.’ When we do what we can for the Lord, He’ll defend us and commend us.

 

Then Jesus added the following: ‘the poor you always have with you, but Me you do not always have.’ There are moments given to us when we can honour the Lord and give sacrificially to His cause. It is up to us to seize that moment or miss it. Giving sacrificially to the Gospel and to missions is often considered a waste of money. People reason that it could rather be used for something else, some other humanitarian cause, but they miss that special moment. They do not realize the time of their visitation. ‘Vous aurez toujours des pauvres avec vous mais moi vous ne m’aurez pas toujours.’

 

Jesus commended Mary for her act of great sacrifice and said her good deed would always be remembered and wherever the Gospel is preached it will be preached about. Her sacrificial act became a memorial in the spirit. Even right now as you read this message it is being remembered!

 

It was just an ordinary day, but Mary’s willingness to give her all to the Master turned it into a day that would be remembered forever! You might think your life is ordinary and that your good deeds go unnoticed, but the Master notices your sacrifice to serve Him and other people and He will defend and commend you openly! Nothing we do for the Lord is in vain.