2018-03-14
Mark 14:6 NIV
Most of us are good actors, but it’s difficult to fake a reaction. And when the woman broke the alabaster jar, the reaction of the disciples is telling. “Why this waste?” They thought she was pouring her perfume down the drain by pouring it at Jesus’ feet. They called it a waste, but He called it “a beautiful thing.” Then He went on to say, “Wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her” (v. 9 NIV). Can you imagine what this one statement did for her self-image? It had probably been years since she’d heard a kind word or a compliment. Those words could be paraphrased, “You may not believe in yourself, but I believe in you.” No one can spot potential like Jesus. That’s because He’s the One who gave it to us in the first place. And that’s why God will never give up on you. It’s not in His nature (See Philippians 1:6). His “goodness and mercy will follow [you] all the days of [your] life” (Psalm 23:6). All you have to do is turn around. This woman was desperate enough to crash the party, and Jesus responds to desperate people. How desperate are you? Desperate enough to make a move, make a change, make a sacrifice? Desperate enough to pray through the night? Read through the Bible? Reconcile the conflict? Plead with a friend who is a lost cause? Give your life savings to a kingdom cause? The path of least resistance won’t get you to where you need to be. But if you go out of your way for God, God will go out of His way for you.
Soul food: 2 Kings 9-10; Matt 23:15-28; Ps 28; Prov 7:14-20
2018-03-13
Markus 14:5 DB
Dis moontlik dat die albaste fles elke sent van die vrou se spaargeld verteenwoordig het. Die waarde daarvan word bewys deur die feit dat twee van die skrywers van die evangelie dit opmerklik gevind het en vir ons ‘n geskrewe skatting gegee het: 300 silwer geldstukke – die ekwivalent van ‘n jaar se salaris. Vir die meeste van ons, verteenwoordig die albaste fles vol olie, geld. Dis ons neseier. Dis ons pensioenfonds. Die vraag is: Is jy gewillig om dit alles weg te gee? Ons stel nou nie voor dat jy nie jou rekeninge moet betaal of vir jou toekoms moet beplan of vir jou familie moet sorg nie. As God jou egter aanspoor om dit alles weg te gee, sal jy gewillig wees om jou albaste fles te breek en dit by Jesus se voete uit te giet? Gedurende sy leeftyd het John Wesley ongeveer dertig duisend pond weggegee. As mens dit volgens inflasie aanpas, is dit meer as R23 miljoen in vandag se tyd. Wesley het ‘n verbond met God in 1731 aangegaan om sy jaarlikse inkomste tot agt-en-twintig pond te beperk. Die eerste jaar het hy egter net dertig pond gemaak, dus het hy net twee pond gegee. Die volgende jaar het sy inkomste verdubbel, en kon hy twee-en-dertig pond weggee. Hy het nooit meer as eenhonderd pond in sy besit gehad nie, omdat hy bang was om ‘n aardse skat bymekaar te maak. Hy het geglo dat God se seën beteken dat ons ons standaard van gee moet verhoog, nie ons lewensstandaard nie. Selfs toe sy inkomste duisende ponde oorskry het, het hy eenvoudig gelewe en al sy surplus geld weggegee. Hy het met ‘n paar munte in sy sak gesterf, maar het ‘n stoor vol skatte in die hemel gehad. Dink daaroor!
Sielskos: 2 Kon 7-8; Matt 23:1-14; Ps 27; Spr 7:10-13
Mark 14:5 NIV
It’s possible the alabaster jar of perfume represented every penny of this woman’s life savings. The value is evidenced by the fact that two gospel writers find it noteworthy enough to give us a written estimate: three hundred denarii – the equivalent of an entire year’s salary. Let’s get down to brass tacks. For most of us, the alabaster jar of perfume is money. It’s our nest egg. It’s our paycheck. It’s our retirement fund. And the question is this: Are you willing to give it all away? We’re not suggesting you should not pay your bills or plan for your future or take care of your family. But if God prompted you to give it all away, would you be willing to break your alabaster jar and pour it all at the feet of Jesus? During his lifetime, John Wesley gave away approximately thirty thousand pounds. Adjusted for inflation, that’s more than $1,764,705.88 in today’s dollars. Wesley made a covenant with God in 1731 to limit his income to twenty-eight pounds a year. But the first year he made only thirty pounds, so he gave just two pounds. The next year his income doubled, and because he managed to continue living on twenty-eight pounds, he gave away thirty-two pounds. He never had more than one hundred pounds in his possession because he was afraid of storing up earthly treasure. He believed God’s blessing should result in raising our standard of giving, not our standard of living. Even when his income rose to thousands of pounds, he lived simply and gave away all surplus money. He died with a few coins in his pocket, but a storehouse of treasure in heaven. Think about it!
Soul food: 2 Kings 7-8; Matt 23:1-14; Ps 27; Prov 7:10-13
2018-03-12
Lukas 7:37 NLV
Die Bybel sê, “‘n Sekere vrou van losse sedes… het ‘n albaste fles met duur aromatiese olie gebring. Sy het agter Jesus gekniel, by sy voete, en gehuil. Haar trane het op sy voete geval… Toe het sy… aromatiese olie daaraan gesmeer” (verse 37-38 NLV). Hierdie olie was suiwer nardusolie, ‘n meerjarige krui wat in die Himalajas geoes word. ‘n Halwe liter daarvan! Die fles, wat van deurskynende edelstene gemaak was, was heel waarskynlik ‘n familie erfstuk. Dit mag dalk selfs haar bruidskat gewees het. Dit was eenvoudig haar kosbaarste besitting. Hoe ironies, maar tog toepaslik, dat die parfuum wat sy in haar beroep as prostituut gebruik het, die kenteken van haar belydenis van geloof sou word toe sy elke laaste druppel oor die voete van Jesus gegiet het. Die breek van daardie fles was haar breek met haar verlede. Sy sou nie meer die stank van sonde met die soet geur van parfuum probeer verdoesel nie. Geen geheime meer nie. Geen skande meer nie. Sy het uit die donker skaduwee van sonde in die lig van die wêreld uitgestap. Daar kom ‘n oomblik wat jy al jou kaarte op die tafel voor God moet sit. ‘n Oomblik waar jy al jou geheime, struikelblokke en sondes moet openbaar. ‘n Oomblik waar jy met jou volle gewig op die genade van God moet val. Hoekom tree ons op asof ons sonde ons diskwalifiseer om die genade van God te ontvang? Dit is die enigste rede wat ons daarvoor kwalifiseer! Enigiets anders is ‘n eiegeregtige poging om God se genade te probeer verdien. Jy kan nie God se genade net 99% vertrou nie. Dis alles of niks. Wanneer ons onsself probeer red, verbeur ons die redding wat alleenlik deur Jesus Christus kom, met genade deur geloof (sien Efesiërs 2:8-9)
Sielskos: 2 Kon 4:18-6:33; Matt 22:34-46; Ps 112; Spr 7:6-9
Luke 7:37 NIV
The Bible says, “A woman who had lived a sinful life…brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping…poured perfume on them” (vv. 37-38 NIV). This perfume was pure nard, a perennial herb that is harvested in the Himalayas. Half a litre of it! And the jar itself, made of translucent gemstones, was probably a family heirloom. It might even have been her dowry. Plain and simple, it was her most precious possession. How ironic, yet how appropriate that the perfume used in her profession as a prostitute would become the token of her profession of faith when she poured out every last drop at the feet of Jesus. Breaking that bottle was her way of breaking with the past. No more masking the stench of sin with the sweet scent of perfume. No more secrets. No more shame. She walked out of the dark shadow of sin into the light of the world. There comes a moment when you have to come clean with God. A moment when you need to unveil your secrets, struggles, and sins. A moment when you need to fall full weight on the grace of God. Why do we act as though our sin disqualifies us from the grace of God? That is the only thing that qualifies us! Anything else is a self-righteous attempt to earn God’s grace. You cannot trust God’s grace 99 percent. It’s all or nothing. When we try to save ourselves, we forfeit the salvation that comes through Jesus Christ alone, by grace through faith (See Ephesians 2:8-9).
Soul food: 2 Kings 4:18-6:33; Matt 22:34-46; Ps 112; Prov 7:6-9
