The Greatest Gift
LENT 2024 | HOLY MONDAY DAY 35
Mark 14:1-26 (NIV)
(Lynn Lau, Assistant Treasurer, Local Church Executive Committee)
Mark 14:1-26 (ESV)
3…as [Jesus] 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. 4There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? 5For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her. 6But Jesus said, “Leave her alone…. She has done a beautiful thing to me….”
17And when it was evening, he came with the twelve. And as they were reclining at table… 22And as they were eating, he took bread and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them and said, “Take, this is my body.” 23And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. 24And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.”
What is the greatest gift we own?
A wise worship minister said to me, “The greatest gift we have is the gift of Jesus, who redeemed us for eternal life, and life abundant. Anything else good which happens in life pales in comparison, and for all the difficult times, it is still bearable because we already have this greatest gift.”
The woman with the alabaster jar gave her most valuable possession to Jesus. Would we also give Him our careers, our intellect, our savings, our children, our spouses/ girlfriends/ boyfriends, our power and influence, anything and everything, to acknowledge Him as the Lord of all, ruler of our hearts and minds?
When I read this passage, the following questions from the Lord came to mind: am I prepared to surrender everything to Him? Would I put Him above all else? I am reminded to surrender all the things that keep me busy, and prioritise Him as the Lord of each day, each year and all my life. “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Is it possible to be so heavenly-minded that we are of no earthly good? As we surrender our lives, would we use our careers, our intellect, our savings, our power and influence in the marketplace to redeem God’s kingdom on earth? At our marketplace and the relationships there, are we making godly decisions which glorify Him, seeking redemption of heaven on earth, making our spheres of influence more godly, more righteous, more hopeful, than when we started, to show the world that God is in our midst?
In my marketplace, how do I steward my responsibilities for His glory? In the area of finance where I have built career experience, how do I use financial world practices to solve worldly problems but which are also kingdom concerns, like creating improved access to the disadvantaged and restoring equity to the marginalised?
Grateful for the greatest gift from the Lord, I will continue to reflect on the above questions and seek Him to find how to be a better steward of His gifts. Thank you, Jesus for the greatest gift!
DISCUSSION POINTERS:
1. Pause and ponder: what is God’s greatest gift to you?
2. Rank the priorities in your life, and see what they look like. What are you prepared to surrender to Jesus?
3. What can you do in your marketplace to better steward God’s gifts to you, and how would you use your gifts for kingdom concerns?
