Sunday School Class Proverbs 25:26-28
"Like a muddied spring or a polluted well is a righteous man who gives way
to the wicked."
Choruses:
scripture reading: #665
Sunday evening - The life of Christ chronologically in
a 'harmony' of the Gospels. Luke
13.1-9 Lucky, cursed, or on borrowed time?
Wednesday:
Extravagant sacrifice
John 12.1 Six days before the
Passover, Jesus arrived at
3. Then Mary took about a pint
of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his
feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
4. But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him,
objected,
5. "Why wasn't
this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages.
" 6. He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he
was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was
put into it.
7. "Leave her alone,"
Jesus replied. "[It was intended] that she should save this perfume for
the day of my burial. 8. You will always have the poor among you, but you will
not always have me."
9. Meanwhile a large crowd of
Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also
to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10. So the chief priests made
plans to kill Lazarus as well, 11. for on account of
him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him.
Many times I've stood by graves with grieving folks who have lost a loved
one. In those moments, and time following, I've never heard a one of them who
regretted any amount of money they had ever spent on that dear one.
On the other hand, there have been many times when I've deeply regretted having
been stingy...and wished desperately there might be some way of redoing that
moment.
About thirty years ago a woman told me that "it's okay to spoil
those girls - the world
has ways of knocking them down, they need to know they are loved."
I've observed the crushing that can come to my wife and daughters through
the insults and injuries of day-to-day living. I can't stand to see them
hurting. With all that is within me I want to bind up their wounds and broken
hearts and hurting spirits.
Sometimes the things of 'value'
which we share show how deeply we care.
To any who would condemn me for an extravagance I might extend to anyone
I love - I care not the slightest what anyone except the recipient thinks of my
gifts of love.
To those who would try to make anyone else feel guilty for their
generosity by bringing up world hunger or world poverty...I give to you this
marvelous snapshot of extreme
generosity that Jesus presents us of Mary, the sister of Lazarus, with
her anointing of the
living in anticipation of death.
A Russian philosopher, Nicholai Berdyaev, once said, "We must treat the living
as though they are dying and the dead as though they are yet alive."
As Mary (of
A man or woman whose own children cannot 'rise and call them blessed' is
cursed, and probably for reasons of his/her own thrift. For, "Where our
treasure is, there will our heart be also."
Where have you placed your treasure?