Wherever
Matthew 26:6-13
What determines the life of a gift?
Three ways one can give:
1) Give to Get
2) Give to Reach Goal
3) Give to God
Matthew 26:6-13
6 While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper,
7 a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.
8 When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. "Why this waste?" they asked.
9 "This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor."
10 Aware of this, Jesus said to them, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me.
11 The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me.
12 When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial.
13 I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."
(NIV)
1) Give to Get
At this level, one hopes to get back at least what one put in. After all, didn’t Jesus say…
Luke 6:38
38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
(NIV)
The Old Testament promises return on our gift investment:
Malachi 3:10
10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. (NIV)
Isn’t it reasonable that we should give in the hope of receiving something in return?
Yes, but this is only one level of giving. Jesus also gave warning that when one gives at this level, one should not be surprised at the return:
Matthew 6:1-2
1 "Be careful not to do your ’acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2 "So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
(NIV)
John’s eyewitness account highlights this kind of giving. Perhaps this was the level of giving in the mind of Judas.
John 12:1-6
1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.
2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him.
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.
(NIV)
God will accept your gift on this level, but do not be surprised when He convicts you for your selfishness!
2) Give to Reach the Goal
This is giving based on custom or tradition. In Jesus’ day, custom called for a servant to pour a few drops of perfume on the head of the honored guest at the party. Isn’t a few drops enough? Why do I have to do more than I have done in the past? Let everyone do their part and we’ll get the job done. That was the plan behind Paul’s instruction to the folks at Corinth. There was a great need elsewhere so Paul told them:
1 Corinthians 16:2
2 On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.
(NIV)
Since we have a goal set before, should we not give in hopes of reaching the goal? Once again, another eyewitness, Mark, shows us a little different perspective:
Mark 14:3-9
3 While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.
4 Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, "Why this waste of perfume?
5 It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor." And they rebuked her harshly.
(NIV)
The disciples, led by Judas, think they know the mind of Jesus. Jesus will not be happy about this waste of an expensive flask and an expense perfume. It could have been sold and the proceeds given to the poor. Jesus would surely want His cause funded! That’s the goal! On the eve of the Passover, custom dictated that giving of alms to the poor.
Apparently the woman was overwhelmed with love for Jesus, broke the neck of the jar and drenched his head with the whole contents of the jar. Since this woman flagrantly wasted the perfume, the disciples attack her verbally.
Matthew 26:8-9
8 When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. "Why this waste?" they asked.
9 "This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor."
(NIV)
The disciples snorted, “Why this waste!?!”
Criticism often tells more about the critic than it does about the person who is criticized!
If I always give what I’ve always given, my gift will not go as far as before.
3) Give to God
Matthew 26:10-12
10 Aware of this, Jesus said to them, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me.
11 The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me.
12 When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial.
(NIV)
When we give to God, the act makes us like the recipient!
Matthew 26:13
13 I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."
(NIV)
How can you make a gift last?
Give it to God!
Geof Steiner is a Vietnam veteran whose life took the stereotypical downfall after his return to civilian life. He struggled financially, suffered a divorce, battled addiction to alcohol, and attempted suicide. Finally, he gave his life to Christ and experienced transformation. In 1980 he was planting a tree, and he decided then to plant one for every one of the dead and missing from the Vietnam War. The result was a forest in Cushing, Minnesota, consisting of almost sixty thousand trees-roughly one tree for every American lost in Vietnam. Steiner paid for the first trees out of his $235 monthly disability check. Now, trees are being donated by the state forestry service. The forest is now recognized as an official memorial to veterans of Vietnam. Steiner says, "This is the only living form of remembrance in the nation. People can come here and experience healing."
One survey taken some years ago, that is still relatively valid today, showed that in one year Americans spent 16 billion dollars for amusements, 10.5 billion for alcohol, 5 billion for tobacco, 2 billion for travel, 325 million for cat and dog food, 304 million for chewing gum, and 76 million for lipstick. During the same period, the total given for foreign missions by all Protestant churches of the United States was said to be only 145 million dollars—less than half of what Americans spent on chewing gum.
Since the 1940s, the Ad Council has been the leading producer of public service announcements. Of the thousands of commercials they have produced, their work for the "Don’t Almost Give" campaign has been particularly powerful.
One ad shows a man with crutches struggling to go up a flight of concrete stairs. The narrator says, "This is a man who almost learned to walk at a rehab center that almost got built by people who almost gave money." After a brief pause, the announcer continues: "Almost gave. How good is almost giving? About as good as almost walking."
Another ad shows a homeless man curled up in a ball on a pile of rags. One ratty bed sheet shields him from the cold. The narrator says, "This is Jack Thomas. Today someone almost brought Jack something to eat. Someone almost brought him to a shelter. And someone else almost brought him a warm blanket." After a brief pause, the narrator continues: "And Jack Thomas? Well, he almost made it through the night."
Another ad shows an older woman sitting alone in a room, staring out a window. The narrator says, "This is Sarah Watkins. A lot of people almost helped her. One almost cooked for her. Another almost drove her to the doctor. Still another almost stopped by to say hello. They almost helped. They almost gave of themselves. But almost giving is the same as not giving at all."
Each ad ends with a simple, direct message: "Don’t almost give. Give."
