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The Fragrance of the Perfume

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments

Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.    John 12:3 NKJV

While Hollywood has generally given us the impression that Mary was a young beautiful woman that may not have been the reality. In that time even poor young beautiful women would have been married and Mary was not poor. While we do not know Mary’s age it seems possible that she and Martha were both widows, living with their brother Lazarus. That would give us an entirely different view than the film version. In this scene we meet a Mary who kept all her savings in that perfume jar. It acted as something of a retirement account. As she grew older with no marital prospects, no way to work or even the right to own property that perfume was all she had besides the kindness of her brother. She was presenting that gift in a single defining moment as her worship and expression of love to the Lord Jesus. As the fragrance filled the room people began one by one to realize how exorbitant and yes even a little crazy what Mary was doing really was! Her family and friends were shocked but silent. Then one by one the disciples, beginning with Judas, began to protest. “Why wasn’t this sold …and given to the poor?”

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But Jesus knew Mary’s heart and while she remained silently at His feet He defended her. Today we have little to describe how Peter or John, Andrew or Phillip worshiped, but Mary’s gift is still remembered after 2,000 years. That perfume continues to fill each of our rooms with its fragrance!

It is Well with My Soul

/ pastorpete51 / 3 Comments

I was totally blown away and grateful for this much needed song in the midst of a storm. No church, no work,no seeing friends,no visiting family but God is still with us. He rules over Heaven and Earth and we are His if we put our hope and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. If you are looking for someone to turn to in this crisis, Jesus is waiting with arms open wide.

Changed Destinations

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So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. Luke 24:28-29 ESV

It is interesting that these two disciples had walked all day with Jesus. They had listened to all He had to say. They had talked with Him and told Him all their problems. But all down that long hot and dusty road, they never realized who they were spending their day with.

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All down the path they had walked focused on their hopelessness, confusion and fear. At any moment Jesus could have stopped them in their tracks shouting, “Hey guys, it’s me! I came back from the dead! Everything is going to be great!” but He didn’t. Instead Jesus first asked them about their problems then patiently explained and then he fell silent. He acted as if He would just go on without them. Then they made a choice that changed their destination from a village to a vision. They found one small kindness they could offer to a stranger who had shared His day with them. Jesus accepted their invitation and when they sat down together to eat He blessed the bread; showed them who He was. Will we invite some of the least likely strangers to sit with us tonight? When we make room for Him at our table He will still break the bread and give us a glimpse of His face as He has been doing for 2000 years!