When we were in China in 2008 we took turns within our group doing a daily devotion. When it came to my turn I spoke on the following scripture:
“When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”
Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
“Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,d and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.”
“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.
Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. you did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”
Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Why did I choose this? I am so glad you asked :) Every day when we went to the village to continue building the church, we would be welcomed by our welcoming committee (the women of the village) and then they would disappear for quite a while. Eventually we would see them coming back, with bags full of fresh vegetables. They would then all gather into a home and fix enough lunch for all of them, plus 12 of us on a 2 burner stove—the kind like we would take camping! Every day they did this for us. Day in, day out. They would watch us eat, then they would eat the leftovers (if there were any).
As I began to think about them doing this for us, I couldn’t help but thinking of the above scripture. You see, they were giving us the best that they could. They had hardly nothing, but everything they did have, they were giving to us with a grateful heart. They wanted to please us, they wanted to thank us.
Just like the woman in the story above; she was giving the best that she had to Jesus. You see, they had that part of servant hood down. So many of us here do not. We are always in too big of a hurry and too busy thinking of ourselves. We don’t take the time to think of others and what would make them feel good. Nor, do we always offer our best to Jesus. We make every excuse in the book as to why we can’t do something. We don’t have time, we aren’t smart enough, we are talented enough…the list goes on and on, when really all He wants is the best YOU have to offer. He already knows you inside and out. He already put everything within you that you need to do the purpose He created you for. Offer your best…I promise He is worth it. He deserves it. And you will never be as fulfilled as you are while doing God’s work.
