“Why This Waste?”

 

 

“A woman came to Him with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume, and she poured it on His head as He reclined at the table. But the disciples were indignant when they saw this, and said, ‘Why this waste?’” (Matthew 26:8).

 

This passage has meant much to me over the years. While John’s account focuses on Judas’s reaction, Matthew points the finger at himself and the rest of the disciples. John had his purpose in focusing on Judas, his context makes this clear, while Matthew wants to include us all in the response, “Why this waste?”

 

As I was pondering this passage this morning, I wondered if I have wasted my life for Jesus. Not “wasted” in the sense in which we usually think of the word, but rather, as the woman in our passage, have I poured out my life upon Jesus? Of course, the world…and sadly the professing church…will consider this a waste in the normal sense of the word; but what the world and religious people consider a waste, God considers a precious offering (Romans 12:1 – 2).

 

Will St. Peter, or whomever has duty that day, ask me at the Gate, “Have you wasted your life for Jesus our Lord and for others?”

 

To waste our lives for Jesus, to allow the perfume to flow and its fragrance to fill the room, means that our vessel must be broken – no brokenness means no release of the fragrance, no release of the fragrance means no waste.

 

When the fragrance is released not everyone smells the same thing, to some the fragrance is “an aroma from death to death, to others an aroma from life to life” (2 Cor. 2:16).

 

The world and the professing church insist on the pragmatic; they don’t want to see us so devoted to Jesus Christ that we stop feeding their pragmatic systems that are self-perpetuating and ever growing and consuming resources. But this passage is really about us, about me and you and about our devotion to Jesus. We need not answer for others, but we will surely answer for ourselves.

 

If we are pouring our lives out upon Jesus, then it will make no practical sense in the eyes of others – an offering is an offering, the object of the offering is God and not me, not you, not the pragmatic. Once God receives our offering, God does with it as He pleases, we relinquish control to Him. Our offering is, of course, ourselves – Christ demands no less, He demands everything (Mark 8:34 – 38).

 

So, is my life a waste for Christ?

 

What will I answer St. Peter at the Gate?

 

What will you answer?

 

 

Heretical Practice?

 

 

Somewhere around 110 A.D., Ignatius, a leader in the church in Antioch in Syria, was arrested by Roman authorities and sent to Rome for execution. Between his arrest and execution, a few short weeks, he wrote seven letters, which have been called his “last will and testament.” One of these letters was to the church in Smyrna, the same church which was a recipient of what we know as the Book of Revelation.

 

The following caught my attention in this letter, “Now note well those who hold heretical opinions about the grace of Jesus Christ which came to us; note how contrary they are to the mind of God. They have no concern for love, none for the widow, none for the orphan, none for the oppressed, none for the prisoner or the one released, none for the hungry or thirsty” (Section 6.2).

 

While we usually equate heresy with what people believe, that is doctrine, Ignatius writes of a heresy of practice, of professing Christians who are not concerned for loving people. He says that these people are contrary to the mind of God.

 

This may remind us of Matthew 25:31 – 46 in which Jesus says, “Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me” (25:45).

 

Jesus speaks of “the least.”

 

The least of the strangers (aliens), the least of the naked, the least of the hungry and thirsty and sick, the least of those in prison.

 

Those who know the mind and heart of God seek to serve and protect and to love the least of humanity, no matter how unlike us they may be, no matter whether we speak the same language or eat the same food or play the same music or dress in the same fashion or have the same earthly citizenship. Those who know the mind and heart of Jesus know that there is a heresy of practice, a heresy which justifies mistreating the least at worst, and ignoring them and leaving them to their fate at best.

 

Show me how a society treats the “least” and I’ll show you that society’s character and morals. Show me how a church treats the “least” and I’ll tell you whether that church is heretical or faithful to Jesus.

 

Let’s make no mistake, one day we will each stand before Jesus and give an account for how we treated “the least” among us.

 

What is the truth about our churches?

 

What is the truth about me, and about you?

 

 

On Suffering and Trials

 

A friend wrote me that he is going through a difficult time, his focus was on the enemy, in fact he said nothing about our Lord Jesus. Below is what I wrote him back this morning, maybe there is something here for us. I have changed names.

 

Much love,

 

Bob

 

Good morning dear, dear friend,

 

You know Frank, the enemy is not your focus nor your testimony.

 

The enemy can only touch us with our Father's gracious permission.

 

Jesus, though He were a Son, yet learned obedience through the things He suffered - ought not we to do the same and rejoice in our sufferings.

 

The call to suffering is central to the cruciform life, the Cross is our portal to victory - suffering on the Cross with Jesus.

 

One DAY we will be asked to show our hands and our feet and our side - have we suffered for Jesus Christ and others?

 

I am reminded of a story about Ulysses S. Grant.

 

As the Army of the Potomac moved into Virginia in 1864 to engage Robert E. Lee's army, with the goal of its destruction, Grant (who had recently come from the West to take command) heard his generals talking about what Lee was going to do, time after time. The leaders of this Army had fought Lee since 1861 and had seldom got the upper hand, and when they did they threw the advantage away. Lee had gotten into their head big time.

 

Grant finally had enough and said, "We aren't going to talk about what Bobby Lee is going to do, we are going to talk about what we are going to do."

 

I love that Frank, I love that.

 

Don't we want to see Jesus revealed in everything? Don't we desire His image to be continually revealed within us, within us to others?

 

How glorious to be called to suffer for His sake, how glorious.

 

Oswald Chambers wrote that we want to choose the place of our crucifixion...I know that is true of me...I'm still learning.

 

I hope you are sharing your walk with someone in addition to Susan, I hope one of the men you mentioned is partnering with you in this - we are not called to live in isolation...and I think we need someone in addition to, and to complement, our wives. Of course our wives need, I think, other sisters to walk with them, and I deeply believe that husbands and wives need other mature husbands and wives to share this pilgrimage with. 

 

I have been through hell more than once, and I could not have made it without my friends...nor without Vickie...but I've needed both.

 

I dearly love you and pray for you and Susan and your family all the time.

 

Bob