Around The Table

Opening Story

Have you ever had someone over for dinner?

If it was a close friend, you may have been like “Hey, find a seat and grab a Coke if you want.”

If it was a boss or someone you held in high standings you would probably be a little more formal. Maybe serve the Coca-Cola is a class with ice. You put away the paper plates and get out the good china. You would go out of your way to give them your best.

Some of you are probably similar to my mother. No matter who you are and what time day or night, you are going to be given the best of everything. She always serves and serves and serves, always giving you her best.

Question

Could you imagine having Jesus over for dinner? I bet you would REALLY clean. Not just shut the doors of the rooms you don’t want to clean but get the toothbrush out to clean the floor clean.

Text

John 12:1 CSB

1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany where Lazarus was, the one Jesus had raised from the dead.

John

“Lazarus…the one Jesus had raised from the dead.”

Jesus didn’t come to earth to make bad people good. Jesus didn’t come to earth to have us put out our best dishes and glasses.

Jesus came to raise the dead to life. That is what he did for Lazarus and that is what He want’s to do for you and I!

John 12:2 CSB

2 So they gave a dinner for him there; Martha was serving them, and Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with him.

So Jesus is in town and they want to have a dinner for Him. Martha loved to cook and I’m sure she wanted to make sure everyone had enough to eat and that they were enjoying themselves. She was a great host.

John

Lazarus, the once dead dude, was just hanging out and eating with Jesus. Could you imagine the conversation between Jesus and Lazarus?

“Hey Jesus, remember that time that I was dead and in the tomb? You just walked up and called my name. Breath entered my lungs, my blood began to flow again, and my eyes opened as I began to walk towards the exit of my grave.”

Now Martha’s sister Mary, whom I’m sure enjoyed the dinner. But Mary had more in mind.

John 12:3 CSB

3 Then Mary took a pound of perfume, pure and expensive nard, anointed Jesus’s feet, and wiped his feet with her hair. So the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

Mary was not caught up in the good food or even the amazing conversation. Mary took very expensive perfume, a year’s worth of income. Just quickly doing some research I figured that in today’s U.S. dollars would be around $36,000. Now, I don’t care home much your yearly income is that is some expensive perfume.

She poured every drop of it onto Jesus feet and wiped His feet with her hair.

Mary not only willingly did a job reserved for the lowest of servants but she paid one years wages for the blessing of doing so. Now, Mary got it.

John 12:4–6 CSB

4 Then one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot (who was about to betray him), said, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 He didn’t say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief. He was in charge of the money-bag and would steal part of what was put in it.

John 12:4–5 CSB

Then one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot (who was about to betray him), said, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”

John 12:

This act of love that almost unimaginably extravagant and Judas looks at it and starts complaining, “ What a waste! Couldn’t this have been given to the poor to help them?”

Now did Judas care about the poor? NO! He also proves here that He doesn’t care about Christ.

John 12:7–8 CSB

7 Jesus answered, “Leave her alone; she has kept it for the day of my burial. 8 For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”

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I love the way Jesus replies. He points out that tomorrow you will have the poor and you can help them if you would like. But, right now I’m approaching the day of my death and she is preparing me for burial.

Application

Are you a Mary or a Judas? Are you worried about you and you are just putting on a show? Or are you willing to truly give everything to Christ.

How does this apply to your life?

Challenge

In just a couple weeks most of will celebrate a great holiday here in America. Thanks to President Abraham Lincoln who said, “Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.”

We are going to gather as a family.

I pray we will truly appreciate the wonderful food that Martha’s will prepare for us.

I pray that we will have God glorifying conversation around that table realizing what a blessing it is to be alive like Lazarus.

But most importantly I pray that we are like Mary who without hesitation glorified her Savior.

May we go giving God only our best and never any leftovers.