A Precious Thing

A precious thing

 "While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, 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. 
When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked.  
“This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.” 
Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me.  The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me.  
When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial.  
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.” 
Matthew 26: 6-13
Here we have a woman who loves and believes in Jesus us much she’s willing to anoint him with what was perhaps one of the most expensive things she had.
The disciples saw it as a waste. Yet Jesus who normally thought of the poor accepts what she did as acknowledgement of her devotion to Him.
He seen it as being preparation for His burial.
He notes that the poor will always be with them on this earth but he will not. It is one more prophesy about His coming death.
For me Jesus is the most important person in my life as He is with all true believers.
Throughout the centuries from the early days men and women have shown their love of Jesus by quite literally dying for him.
The book of acts in chapter 7 & 8 tells of how Stephen died for his faith in Christ and how the church underwent persecution.
Such things have been happening for centuries. Today it is estimated that a Christian dies for their faith every eleven minutes. Yet still we as Christians continue to present the word of God and the Salvation that comes only through Jesus Christ to the world.
We do so because we believe the Bible and the words of Jesus who said,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” 
                                                                                             John 3:16-18.
We do so because we also believe Jesus when he said,
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” 
                                                                                                                         John 14:6.
And the Apostle Paul who wrote,
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast.” 
                                                                         Ephesians 2:8,9.
Think about it.