Total Commitment

Anyone enjoyed March Madness? Any underdog stories yet?

Over the last few weeks we have discussed the following:

Jesus came ushering in a Kingdom.

Jesus came ushering in a Kingdom.

There is a reality that is challenging to grapple with. In our midst there are two Kingdom in Combat. The Kingdom of this present age and the Kingdom of God.  Jesus said He came to Usher in the presence of God.

He can usher in that presence because Jesus is God, Humbled and Come down.

He is the fullness of God,

who Speaks to His People,

Mediates for their well being,

Sacrifices Himself for the consequences of their unfaithfulness, and offers freedom from the debt of this present kingdom.

Because Jesus is completely faithful and obedient He is the exalted as The Triumphant King, who longs to lead all people back into the Kingdom of God.

The Kingdom of God is coming to those who are receptive.

Like prepared soil, be receptive so you can be productive Kingdom builders.

Jesus Ultimate mission, That He Must Die and Conquer the present kingdom by complete obedience to God.

While Jesus is getting serious about his death, the Disciples are making their own plans.

I want to be important… Kingdom greatness is different from earthly greatness.

Being an apprentice of Jesus will cost you.

(Pick Up Your Cross)

The Disciples who have been with Jesus night and day. They have had small group with Jesus. He explains His teaching them. They have been sent out to do ministry… They have handed out the bread and the fish that has been multiplied. They have seen the blind healed and the lame walk.

They have failed to listen as Jesus explains The Ultimate mission, which is scary because Jesus frankly told them:

Kingdom greatness is becoming a servant to all!

When Jesus is in public He is being hounded by every religious group you can imagine. They all think they have theology figured out so they feel the need to test Jesus. When Jesus locks them up, they get angry. They literally want to kill Jesus.

That’s pretty much where we pick up the story today.

Mark 14:3–9 ESV

And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her. But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”

The Passover Holiday is about to begin and the Religious leaders have their mind set, it’s time to get rid of Jesus.

Jesus is at a meal with His disciples and a lepers house.

We are left to assume something. Simen has been healed. If hasn’t been healed there would presumably be a great deal of social discomfort being at his home.

In the midst of this meal an anonymous woman arrives and breaks open a very expensive ointment and pours it over Jesus' head.

Before we go further into this narrative let me ask you a question.

What have Jesus' closest disciples done for Jesus? What gifts has Mark recorded that they have given?

What gestures of kindness have the religious leader show Jesus?

An important narrative tool that Mark wants to teach us is: COMPARE AND CONTRAST. 

They compare and contrast this: (Let’s compare and contrast the kind of soil present.)

Path= hardened, stomped down.

Rocky Place= shallow, quickly sprouts, but quickly fizzles.

Thorns= Have some depth, but competing kingdoms, or desires overrule God’s Kingdom. The Kingdom is choked out.

Good Soil- Produce Kingdom Fruit… 30

Who Is Present in the context of this narrative?

The religious leaders are the top layer, they want to kill Jesus.

The generous are the unexpected: A Leper and an anonymous woman who pours oil on Jesus. Followed by indignant disciples, with flared noses, and ultimately

Judas betraying Jesus for money.

They question, which one are you? Who do you want to be?

Mark’s obvious answer is (The Point of The Message):

You Want To Pour Out Everything to Worship Jesus.

That means you have eyes to see and ears to hear.

You know it will cost and that the Kingdom you gain is far better.

HERE IS ARE THE TWO OBJECTIVE OF TODAY:

How Do I Become The One Who Would Pour Out Everything to Worship Jesus?

A Kingdom Apprentice Pours Out Everything.

The anonymity of the woman forces us to contemplate the act and nature of discipleship.

What encounter did this woman have with Jesus that she wanted to offer such a lavish gift?

She wanted to lavish worth and affection upon Jesus.

She pours out all she has…

She heard that discipleship is costly.

She gave thought to that….

What do I have?

What is chaining me to the present kingdom of me….

I can provide for myself.

I don’t need to be dependent on anyone else?

I have this flask of ointment.

I have saved up.

A year's wages.

Don’t raise your hand, but how many of you have a year's wages just saved up?

If you do, how long did it take?

You had to deny yourself to get there. Or someone did!

This is an underdog story! We don’t know how she earned or was given this valuable gift, but we know it’s in her possession now?

What am I going to do with what I have in response to what Jesus has done for me?

That’s a real question!

She gave all she had!

I would call this Good Soil!!!

Contrast:

INDIGNATION

aganakteō be indignant; be angry

Isn’t this a waste…

Critic, Their condemnation obviously demeans the woman and her gift. In asserting that there could be a better use for the money,

Think of all the poor we could help…

The disciples say, “It’s worth 300 denarii, a years wages... That cost to much.

When they demean the woman, they demean Jesus as well.

Do you see what they are saying here, inadvertently or not?

JESUS YOU ARE NOT WORTH THIS GIFT! THERE IS A BETTER USE OF THIS OIL.

WHEN WE DEMEAN OTHERS WE DEMEAN JESUS.

Jesus says, This woman has eyes to see and ears to hear. This gift is priceless!

Her priceless sacrifice is tied to His priceless sacrifice.

Neither the gift of anointing is wasted nor is Jesus death on the cross wasted.

The unnamed woman deems Jesus worthy of her sacrifice, whereas the disciples do not.

For the half hearted, asking, what do I get out of this, discipleship is about moral debate.

About how others should believe and use their time and resources.

While at the same time arguing about how following Jesus should benefit me….

For Jesus, and exemplified in this anonymous woman,

DISCIPLESHIP IS ABOUT WHO WE WORSHIP AND WHAT WE ARE ABLE TO GIVE.(6-7)

Total Commitment that holds nothing back.

You Can’t Out Give God!

Mark 14:6–9 ESV

But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”

Truly an underdog! The disciples whose names are known have been fully receptive to the Kingdom Message of Jesus.

The seed has fallen on hard hearts

Shallow souls

Entangled intentions

But this nameless worshiper received the Kingdom wholly and responded.

Jesus says this is beautiful!

Everywhere the gospel goes, people will know what a real Disciple looks like because of this woman…

By the way, everywhere the gospel goes people learn about Judas also.

The woman’s deed—if not her name—cannot be forgotten, for she perceives that the mystery of the gospel is revealed in Jesus’ death.

2. How do I become the one who would pour out everything to worship Jesus?

Take an inventory of your Kingdom receptivity.

Ask, is Jesus commitment to give it all worthy of some response in and from me?

Ask, what can I do (She did what she had)

What do I have?

Give what you have to Jesus!

He will use it for His glory

Others may indignantly ridicule your choices.

They may not understand, But you aren’t doing it for them! You are doing it for Jesus.

Don’t Hold Back!

She not only gave, she broke it open

To me, that signifies she can’t get that back

There is no holding back. She is all in!

Proclaims Jesus with your life.

She proclaimed Jesus

The Ruler/ King/ Lord of here life

The Provision for Her life

The Message of Here Life.

The Judge of Her Life.

COSTLY LOVE

POURED OUT

DO WHAT YOU CAN DO.

WHAT SHE DID MADE A KINGDOM IMPACT:

THE VERY DEATH YOU PREPARED JESUS FOR WILL BE CELBRATED TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY!

WE WANT OTHER PEOPLES EYES AND EARS TO BE OPENED TO THIS KINGDOM REALITY.

INVITE PEOPLE TO EASTER

NEW LIFE WILL BLOOM!