Missions Paul

“While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper,a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. 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 v 10-13)

Alabaster jar givers:-

1. Give out of a heart of deep thankfulness and worship for who Jesus is and what He has done for them. This woman has a story. We don’t know it but clearly Jesus has impacted her life.
2. Probably don’t understand the full significance of their giving. There are many indications that no one understood about the Messianic prophecies of the cross until after the resurrection so it is a presumption to think that this woman knew. Jesus lets us know that it is possible to give in such a way that this act of worship becomes far more significant than the giver realises.
3. Change atmospheres. Everyone enjoyed the fragrant perfume, even if they were against her doing it. To give is to bring kindness into the room, it is to bring worship, honour, it is to elevate the receiver above anyone else in the room.
4. Her giving offended others who hadn’t given like this. They were not thinking of the poor. They were not thinking of the largeness of her gift. They were thinking of how small or non-existent their own contribution was. Giving not only changes atmospheres but it exposes and brings to the surface the hidden problems of the room.
5. Teach us that giving and the Gospel go hand in hand. The gospel is God’s gift and it demands the giving of our whole life.

“While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. 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.” (Matthew 26 v 8-9)

John (chapter 12) tells us that Judas, the team’s treasurer, used to put his hand in the money bag and it was him who led the disciples in their indignation of the extravagance of this woman. Mark (chapter 14) says it was a year’s wages and Judas could have enjoyed some of that bounty!

One thing we need to remember about offence it is this:

The offended latch onto something that they think justifies their offence and which is understandable to the most.

The veil of offence: Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor?

“That makes sense Judas. Well said. We need to look out for the poor. That’s what Jesus has taught us. We totally agree!”

This is akin to a misogynistic man walking out of the church because the teaching isn’t ‘deep enough’ or ‘correct theology’ veiling the truth that the man hadn’t known beforehand that the preacher was a woman! Yes, it has happened.

Veiled offence uses something that is accurate ie Mary could have given the perfume to be sold for the poor and this was wasteful; but uses that to cause division when the truth is that she honours Jesus in an extravagant way which prevents Judas from any opportunism and simply exposes the disciples lack of extravagance.

Let me ask another question. Do you get offended? Are you today? Has someone said or done something that you carry a sense of injustice about; something obviously wrong and you have colleagues who can support you in this? Be careful of veiled offence.

Here comes a beautiful story which Matthew sets between and in stark contrast to the plots of the religious and the betrayal of Judas.

In a house in Bethany on the slopes of the Mount of Olives comes a story of beauty. It encourages us to create moments in our homes and indeed in our churches where those who are ‘sinners’ find courage to be there.

“While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.” (Matthew 26 v 6-7)

There is speculation on who Simon was. A healed leper? The Pharisee? He’s opened his home to Jesus. Honour is given to Jesus. That’s what Matthew tells us.

In this place where Jesus is welcomed a woman arrives. That’s all Matthew says. John says it was Mary (John 12) and Luke says she was a sinful woman (Luke 7).

A strong fragrant perfume burst into the room.

As it ran down the head of Jesus it soaked into his skin.

Perhaps you could still smell the fragrance on Jesus as Judas kissed him in betrayal, as the soldiers hit him, as he was nailed to the cross.

This woman’s beauty was her gratefulness.

Her selflessness. Her emotional feelings of devotion.

For her, there was no one else in the room but her and Jesus.

Of course there were others. John says there was Lazarus, Mary and Martha (John 12:2). So we know for definite there was one testimony of healing and maybe Simon the Leper too.

In a place of honour and thankfulness to Jesus sinners will always come to worship in ways only they can express. Sometimes in ways that seem extravagant.

Turn the tables. Don’t let anyone dictate how you see things. View them through the filter of One who was, is and will always be in charge.

^“Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and they schemed to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. “But not during the festival,” they said, “or there may be a riot among the people.” (Matthew 26 v 3-5)

Jesus had said he would lay his life down as a Passover lamb during Passover.

They said this wasn’t going to happen. They were concerned about causing a riot.

Jesus had said that he would be crucified.

They said this wasn’t going to happen. They had plans to abduct him and kill him quietly.

Jesus had said that his death would be public.

They said this wasn’t going to happen. They were not going to kill him till after the Festival had ended and people had gone home.

Who is in charge? It is not them. It is Jesus.

The enemy of your soul wants to see you die in some form and of course we are all called to take up our cross and die to self.

But how this happens is everything.

To lose your life in the timing of the enemy is to lose your destiny. To lose your life in the timing of God is to gain the whole world.

To lay your life down with the manipulation and deceit of the enemy is to cut short what God had in store for you. To lay your life down in the timing of God is surrender.

God knows the calendar. He knows what is ahead.

“When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, “As you know, the Passover is two days away—and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.” (Matthew 26 v 1-2)

Jesus knew it was now only 2 days away.

The Jews counted each day as a day. It is now Wednesday, the first day. Day 2 is tomorrow, Thursday. And then it is Passover. The day Jesus will be crucified.

Jesus knew the time. This was no surprise to Him.

Etched in the memory of everyone was the judgment and the rescue of the Passover. The angel of death passed over the homes sprinkled with the lamb’s blood. This is what was in the minds of all the pilgrims, the Jerusalem citizens and the religious leaders. They didn’t know what they celebrated was a shadow of what was to come. This Passover is the real event. Judgment would be known in their generation. At the same time a new Exodus would commence.

The Passover was two days away. Jesus is the new Moses.

David’s Messianic prophecy of being forsaken is only 2 days away (Psalm 22).

Isaiah’s Suffering Servant is only 2 days away (Isaiah 52-53).

Daniel’s Messiah the Prince being cut off is only 2 days away (Daniel 9).

Jesus knew. The worst day was not some haphazard, terrible accident or evil surprise. The worst day was held in the predetermined and foreknowledge of God.

He can be trusted because He holds the future.

“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” (Matthew 25 v 46

 “…take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world”, v34

‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels”, v41.

Here is the second similarity in a parable of differences between the sheep and the goats.

There is a place prepared for the sheep and a place prepared for the devil and his angels of which the goats will enter too.

Now perhaps one could line up evil and wicked people with the devil and his angels. But the line is filled with those who did not give food, drink, hospitality, clothing and care to people and ultimately to Jesus.

There is an eternal separation, a prepared place. But that is where the similarity ends for this prepared place of eternal punishment was never for the nations of the world but for the devil and his angels.

It is possible then to be in a prepared place that was never prepared for you and for that to be eternal.

It is sobering. Every part of my mind wants to react and change these words. I want to say the goats won’t go to that prepared place. Scholars still debate eternal punishment, what it is, where it is and who goes there and for how long.

If I separate people from my provision and care, if I treat people in a way that is less than they deserve then I am going to understand the depth separation can go to when my life is over, I will reap what I sow. I do not know a lot about eternal separation but I do know the trauma that separation does today. I know what it is like when friends turn their back. I have seen the mess of broken families. I have seen the loneliness of the homeless and the beggar. There are many who are separated from society. We can do more to be inclusive of all people. They don’t need to enter into these places, these places were never prepared for them. Perhaps earth is a taste of heaven after all.

Mother Teresa and her organisations Sisters of Charity lived by this parable of the Sheep and the Goats. Her mantra was 5 words, “You-did-it-to-me.”

When He returns Jesus separates the sheep to the right and the goats to the left.

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ (Matthew 25 v 41-45)

Apart from the obvious differences that stand out: Goats not sheep, depart not come, cursed not blessed and did not do instead of you did, there are 2 similarities.

The first is the sheep and the goats are both surprised.

Jesus has been demonstrating through his parables the surprise of His return to everyone, whether that is a wedding guest, a foolish virgin with no oil in her lamp, or a one talent servant who hadn’t done anything with what had been given him.

But the surprise with this final story is primarily about not noticing the presence of Jesus in their activity of life: “‘Lord, when did we see you …”

As well as praying that Churches will see outpourings of God’s presence perhaps we should simply begin to see Jesus in every person we meet today. How different life would be? In every person. The ones who have different opinions to us, the ones who beg on the street corner, the ones who annoy you, the least as well as the greatest, the sinned against and the sinner. If we began to see Jesus in them then maybe they will begin to see Jesus in us?

I wonder how life might be different if before we launch out with anger or hurtful criticism at someone who hasn’t met our standards we look up and see Jesus.

That will not happen if all we see is me.

Perhaps Jesus is nearer to us than we realise.

And maybe that is the point.

(The second similarity is for tomorrow)

“I can’t say thank you enough. I’m still learning to get used to people being kind to me. I’m looking at my cooker and I’m in tears. I didn’t expect this kindness. God bless you. Thank you.” This was a text sent by a lady who had simply turned up at church with her children. She was fleeing from a Domestic Violence situation and had absolutely nothing.

Where was Jesus in this scenario? Was Jesus in the gift of the cooker given by the Church? Or was Jesus with the woman receiving the gift?

 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ (Matthew 25 v 37-40)

There are members within Christ’s family who are hungry, thirsty, seen as a stranger, in need, sick and even in prison; they have less; they are overlooked and perhaps ignored; they are the least; but Jesus is with them and in them, so much so that it can be said that Jesus is one with them.

When we refuse to turn a deaf ear to the cries of the Christian family wherever they might be in the world then we are far more open to hear the voice of God. When we stand with our black brothers and sisters who have been subject to all kinds of mistreatment from unequal opportunity/justice to outright racism then we have perhaps come closest to standing in the presence of God than ever before. When we stop looking down on the ‘least’ as poor, second-class, high-maintenance people who bring the best out of us and see them as family then we are far more likely to begin to have visions of Christ.

It maybe Jesus who needs a cooker!

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ (Matthew 25 v 34-37)

Jesus is and always will be King.

Matthew had started his gospel with Jesus in the line of King David; Magi have sought him as King; the Sermon on the Mount is focused on the Kingdom of heaven; on the cross he is mocked as King; at his return nations will gather before the King; and as King he will usher people into his kingdom.

Which people?

It is those who have made Jesus their King during their life on earth. They made Jesus the centre of it all, their focus and the reason for doing life. “You gave me; you invited me; you clothed me; you looked after me; you came to visit me.”

ME is KING.

Make sure the ME is Jesus and not you or anyone else.

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.” (Matthew 25 v 31-33)

We will see His GLORY.

There is no way we will ever understand fully the glory of God until this day or until we leave this life.

In its simplistic form it is to see His beauty through the lens of His actions, character and nature.

There is a glory in heaven that Moses longed for and partially saw; that Isaiah saw in the Temple and that John would see in his Revelation, “The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.” (21:23) Everyone hearing Jesus speak about His return would certainly know Daniel’s vision, “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:13-14)

Our world is in a mess. But there is a beauty that is coming into the world, the glory of God, Jesus!

In His glory He will GATHER.

He is the creator and sustainer of what He has created. He is the ruler of all nations. He is not responsible for the terrorism and aggression of certain nations, yet both the history and geography of that nation is under His control. He is involved. He will gather because He is in control. We need to hear this. Some believe in a God but who is far away from their everyday life and who is powerless to do anything about it or chooses not to be involved. The gospel is that God is near. He is involved and he will gather.

In His glory He will gather because He is a SHEPHERD.

Even at the end of it all what we see of Jesus is not some dictatorial leader but a caring and loving shepherd.

The Bible is full of a God who loves as a shepherd.

Joseph described God, “God who has been my shepherd all my life” (Genesis 48:15)

Isaiah prophesies, “He tends his flock like a shepherd: he gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.” (40:11)

And of course David says, “The Lord is my Shepherd.” (Psalm 23:1)

So it isn’t strange in the slightest for Jesus to reveal who he is by speaking as a shepherd and His sheep.

He has shepherded you and will be that shepherd at the end for you.

When Jesus returns we will see His Glory as He Gathers like a Shepherd.

These 3 Gospel words remain of Jesus till the end.