Summary: Don't let your worship simply be that of the status quo. Be sensitive be willing to sacrificially worship the Lord. Seek to have a Servants' Heart.

When the Ordinary Translates into the EXTRAORDINARY

(Sometimes even less than Ordinary)

Mark 14:3-9

John 12:1-3

1 ¶ Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. (KJV)

1 Entonces Jesús, seis días antes de la pascua, vino a Betania, donde estaba Lázaro, el que había estado muerto, al cual había resucitado de los muertos. (RVG04)

2 There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. (KJV)

2 Y le hicieron allí una cena; y Marta servía; y Lázaro era uno de los que estaban sentados a la mesa con Él. (RVG04)

3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. (KJV)

3 Entonces María tomó una libra de ungüento de nardo puro, de mucho precio, y ungió los pies de Jesús, y los enjugó con sus cabellos; y la casa se llenó de la fragancia del ungüento. (RVG04)

IL.: At Sunday School, a young child asked her teacher some questions. She said, I heard in a sermon that God is so big that He holds the whole world in His hands. Then, I heard you say that Jesus lives in our heart when we invite Him in. The teacher was getting a little nervous as to how she could explain all of this. Then the child said--He must be coming out of us on all sides, He is so much bigger than us.

Is Christ coming out (radiating) from every part of your being?

THE SCENE:

A few days before Jesus is to be arrested, mockingly tried, and crucified.

Jesus, the disciples, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus are all congregated in the city of Bethany, at the house of Simon the Leper.

Simon the Leper was a man whom Jesus had healed; otherwise none of these would have been with him in this house, especially, in the middle of the city.

Leprousy = sin

Leprousy was seen, in many cases, as a type of judgment for sin.

Examples: Miriam, Gehazi, Uzziah

The house of a leper was even considered unclean until certain rituals were accomplished to "cleanse" it.

So here is the paradox---JESUS (the spotless Lamb of God), is on His way to the Cross to be the perfect sacrifice for our sins. Yet, He is eating in a house that still had the taint of being unclean, with a man who had been a leper.

Simon the Leper, obviously, was not now a leper. He had been healed. Yet, this "tag"is still attached to his life by society.

Some say that should not be. Why keep calling him Simon-the leper. It doesn't seem right. It is hard to change habits and traditions. But look at how this title made the miracle ever bigger. The world was reminded of what Simon had been every single time they called his name on the streets. Visitors and new people undoubtedly did inquire as to the reason for his name.

Simon was not running around crying--"unclean, unclean". He was not living at the outer gates of the city. He was not dying of an "uncurable" disease. I am convinced that he was not a disfigured person. All for the glory of God.

We are not done. Back at the house of Simon, there was a big meal about to be served to the guests. All of a sudden, Mary (of Bethany) comes in and breaks a flask of ointment, pouring it over the head of Jesus.

Alabaster = a flasklike jar made from a semi-transparent white stone from Egypt. Very costly; mostly used by kings and princes as decorative pieces.

Nard = an expensive perfume made from the oil of a plant from the Himalayan Mountains of India.

Mark's gospel tells of her pouring it on her head.

The gospel of John tells of her anointing and washing the feet of Jesus with this spikenard.

A SENSITIVE HEART

A SACRIFICIAL HEART

A SERVANT'S HEART

I. SENSITIVITY

This Mary of Bethany is found three times in the Scriptures. Each time she is AT THE FEET OF JESUS.

1. Lk. 10:38-42 ---sitting at His feet as He teaches; while Martha is upset with her for not helping in the kitchen.

2. Jn. 11:30-32 ---she falls at His feet, in agony of her brothers' death

3. Jn. 12:3 ---anointing Jesus for His burial

In some way of another, God, by His Spirit, spoke to Mary about going to Jesus and ministering unto Him.

From the other references in Scripture, we surmize that she made it a habit to be sensitive to the Lord.

Jesus was not just another house guest. She adored and worshipped Him and sought to be near Him. She reverently found her place of submission (at His feet) each and every time.

Regardless of location or circumstances.

Regardless of those around her.

She was ever sensitive to the presence of Christ and the need to worship Him.

II. SACRIFICE

Define "sacrifice"

A thousand dollars is not a sacrifice for a billionaire.

This spikenard may have been an inheritance, or a "nest egg" investment. We do not know for sure. Without doubt, it was something she probably could not replace very easily.

This sacrifice was also a sacrifice of misunderstanding.

Those around her misjudged her and belittled her. They accused her of being wasteful.

They disdained her and called her wasteful.

Mr. 14:8

8 She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. (KJV)

8 Ésta ha hecho lo que podía; y se ha anticipado a ungir mi cuerpo para la sepultura. (RVG04)

III. HEART OF A SERVANT

Mary was at Jesus' feet because she had a servants' heart. It had nothing to do with gaining favor or looking for a recompense. She simply loved Jesus and wanted to show him that love. Her whole goal was to minister to Him and enedeavor to make Him look worthy.

If you are a servant, you will be severely critized at times.

If you are a servant, you will be misunderstood and scrutinized

If you are a servant, those things will not sway you.

If you are a servant, Jesus will take up for you. (Jn. 12:7)

Do whatever you can, whether big or small, for Jesus.

Are you doing it for yourself or for Jesus?

James 1:22

22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. (KJV)

22 Mas sed hacedores de la palabra, y no solamente oidores, engañándoos a vosotros mismos. (RVG04)

If you are not doing it right, you won't be helped.

IL.: A preacher was returning home from a service one evening. He came upon a young lad who was on his knees, frantically searching for something. The minister asked him what he was looking for. The boy told him that he lost a 10 dollar bill that his mother had given him to buy some items at the store. After a bit, the preacher asked him if he was sure that he had lost the money at this location. He answered, "no, I lost it across the street, but there is no streetlight over there, so I decided to come over here to look for it."

Too often, we are just like that. Trying to do good things, but going about it all wrong.

In all that you do, do it for the glory of God.