Daily Reading
Ministering to Jesus
Today's Daily Reading is from Stasi's new book The Ladder of Love, available now — order your copy today!
Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’s honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’s feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. (John 12:1–3)
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. Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” (Matthew 26:8–13)
Something I love about this is that Mary wasn’t at her own home for this dinner, but she had come prepared. At just the right time in the evening, she slipped away, retrieved her alabaster jar filled with perfume, returned, and poured it out onto Jesus. Her act would instantly have been recognized as an act of profound worship. Many scholars believe this precious nard, this alabaster jar, was Mary’s life savings. Mary held nothing back. She reserved nothing. She poured out all she possessed as an act of love and worship to her King. She deemed Him worthy of her everything. And in so doing Mary ministered not only to Jesus’s body but to His spirit and soul as well.
Notice that she did not offer Him her worship from a distance. She was very close.
There were immediate effects that resulted from her worship, and dear ones, there are immediate effects from yours.
Spending time in the secret place of our heart, setting our gaze of affection on Jesus, is time that is never wasted. It is actually the time that matters the most. Perhaps nothing measurable in the standard of the world comes from it. Probably it doesn’t. We are not being busy about the needs, requirements, and cares of our outward lives. There may not be tangible proof of the value that comes from how we have spent our time. But what matters most in the Heaven lies rarely provides immediate results in the natural realm. They are not measured on the same scale. Remember, man looks at the outward appearance. God looks at the heart. It is the heart that is God’s priority. When we worship God, when we spend time in adoration of Him, the most valued business of the Kingdom is being accomplished. Jesus exhorts “Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only” (Matthew 4:10).
It is near to God’s heart that He reveals His beauty to us. It is in His Presence that we come to know Him and our love deepens. Our grateful worship not only changes us, but it blesses our Lord. Jesus said that Mary had ministered to Him. We too can minister to our King by offering to Him that which is of the highest priority to Him— our heart. In fact, friends, worshipping Him is our highest ministry.
There were immediate effects that resulted from her worship, and dear ones, there are immediate effects from yours.
Spending time in the secret place of our heart, setting our gaze of affection on Jesus, is time that is never wasted. It is actually the time that matters the most. Perhaps nothing measurable in the standard of the world comes from it. Probably it doesn’t. We are not being busy about the needs, requirements, and cares of our outward lives. There may not be tangible proof of the value that comes from how we have spent our time. But what matters most in the Heaven lies rarely provides immediate results in the natural realm. They are not measured on the same scale. Remember, man looks at the outward appearance. God looks at the heart. It is the heart that is God’s priority. When we worship God, when we spend time in adoration of Him, the most valued business of the Kingdom is being accomplished. Jesus exhorts “Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only” (Matthew 4:10).
It is near to God’s heart that He reveals His beauty to us. It is in His Presence that we come to know Him and our love deepens. Our grateful worship not only changes us, but it blesses our Lord. Jesus said that Mary had ministered to Him. We too can minister to our King by offering to Him that which is of the highest priority to Him— our heart. In fact, friends, worshipping Him is our highest ministry.
Want more? Order your copy of The Ladder of Love today