The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Mark14:3-9, “And while He was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper, and reclining at the table, there came a woman with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume of pure nard; and she broke the vial and poured it over His head.

4 But some were indignantly remarking to one another, “Why has this perfume been wasted? 5 “For this perfume might have been sold for over three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor.” And they were scolding her.

6 But Jesus said, “Let her alone; why do you bother her? She has done a good deed to Me. 7 “For the poor you always have with you, and whenever you wish, you can do them good; but you do not always have Me. 8 “She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial.

9 “And truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, that also which this woman has done shall be spoken of in memory of her.”

Why did yo throw that away? It could have been used for that special event that is coming! Something like this has occurred in all of our lives. Something one person views as worthless, another person views as valuable. Our family was far from wealthy, but when my parents entertained guests in our home, the best that we had was set before them. The woman who anointed Jesus is not named. What she did was vastly superior to who she was; thus, her act was a kindness of love unlike any other.

Nard was a costly perfume, derived from a rare plant that grew in far-off India. By today’s monetary value, the perfume was worth $54.00; but in Jesus’ day, that was equal to a year’s wage. It was the custom of that day to pour a few drops of perfume on an honored guest, but this woman poured the entire vial full on Jesus’ head. Then she broke the vial, so that no one else should ever use it in honoring another guest.

What she did upset someone (undoubtedly, Judas Iscariot), and others joined in objecting to what the woman had done. But the perfume belonged to her and she was entitled to do with it what she wished. Jesus saw it as an act of love –a pre-anointing of Him, looking forward to His death and resurrection. He said, “Let her alone…She has done what she could…” Each of us has been gifted with some unique ability to honor and glorify the LORD Jesus. Such gifts are often varied, and what we consider as acceptable, someone else might consider a waste. What’s important is that each of us glorifies Christ with the gift we’ve been given. You may have the gift of sharing His Word verbally with the lost or the gift of writing with which you share His love through letters or email. You may have been blessed with the gift of giving that enables you to help support missionaries, who share Him with those who have never heard.

What others think of how we honor Him is not important. What’s important is that we honor Him in the way He has enabled us to do it. What is your spiritual gift? How well are you doing with the gift He has given you?

Faithful prayers of love are prayed for you daily,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”