“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. Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him, Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?” John 12:3-5
A pound of perfume worth over a year of the average laborer’s wages. Precious contents were in that vessel. A woman with a questionable past grateful to have met the Messiah and to have received forgiveness and a fresh start. In God’s eyes, an even more precious vessel, one that He could use to demonstrate what He can do with a generous heart.
Last week we wrote of resource allocation, generosity toward God’s work, and what some call waste. We said that, like Judas in the days of Jesus’ ministry on Earth, many today deem anything above the bare minimum given to the local church a waste. Their YouTube videos and Facebook posts bemoan the extravagance and opine how to better use the money (that they haven’t given themselves) and how the Lord would approve of their frugal mindset.
Really? They must not have read Jesus’ response to Judas, right? To Judas’ argument of Mary’s “waste” Jesus replied, “Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this. For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.” (John 12:7)
Friends, God looks at resource management much differently than these “false frugal” types. According to the Bible, He places a premium on provision for His work in this Earth, and looks favorably on those that are generous toward the things of the Lord.
Brothers and sisters, giving of our resources to the Lord and His work, including His local houses of worship, is never a waste. It’s always a benefit, always a blessing—to God, to others, and to us if our hearts and minds are right. Giving generously to the Lord has a positive effect on God, on others, and on us. How can I say this? I’ve read Philippians 4:14-19, II Corinthians 9:10-15, and Galatians 6:7-10!
In Philippians 4 we read that our giving to God’s work is a wonderful smell to Him! (Just like Mary’s perfume that filled the room!) In II Corinthians 9 it reveals that our giving can encouraged others to thank and praise the Lord for His provision in their lives. Finally, in Galatians 6 we see that our giving is like sowing seed that will reap a harvest if sown in the good ground that God directs us to sow in.
Giving to God and His work is never a waste. Don’t let the Pharisees and the Judases in your life tell you any differently. In fact, the opposite is true—withholding what should go to God is wasteful and opens the door for negative equity.
What? Yes. I challenge you to read an obscure little Old Testament book called Haggai. It might be hard to find in the pages of your Bible, and the pages may still be stuck together as if it were new, but it’s worth the effort to locate the words of this prophet from God.
In Haggai 1:2-11 it explains very well why some people live in poverty. It’s black and white, and while I won’t spoil the revelation for you. Know this: they weren’t poor because they were pleasing God and taking care of His house in the ways they should. It makes me wonder if that’s a spiritual reason for our lack in this area. It’s something to prayerfully consider. Nevertheless, the point to those people was clear: Take care of God’s house and He’ll take care of yours.
Friends, let’s be encouraged in our giving to God and the places of worship that He has established here in our area. It is the wisest investment of our resources imaginable!
Greg Crum is the pastor of Calvary Temple in Lovely.