WOM 21 Day Fast Week 3

Extravagant Worship

We are now two days away from Good Friday when Jesus was crucified: it’s Wednesday of Holy Week, when Jesus was anointed in Bethany by Mary. All four gospels record Jesus’ s anointing by women. Mark 14.1-19: ‘Now the Passover and the festival of Unleavened Bread were only 2 days away…. While He was in Bethany reclining at the table in the home of Simon the leper a woman came with an alabaster jar of expensive perfume made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head… “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “She has done a beautiful thing to me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. Truly I tell you that wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world what she has done will also be told in memory of her.” 

Mary discerned the time and grasped the opportunity to pour upon the Lord the best she had. She could have missed the timing but she grasped hold of the moment. She got a revelation from the Lord about His burial as she sat at His feet and heard His words. The perfume was worth an absolute fortune: around £25,000. Can you imagine wasting such an expensive perfume? She didn’t give just a little but poured all of it on Him. Over-the-top extravagant passion – and the disciples around her didn’t get it. But Jesus said, “She has done a beautiful thing to me.” At this season I feel God is seeking from us extravagant actions dedicated completely to Him, out of hearts totally consumed with love for Him alone, free from idols. God loves this: what Mary did captured His heart.

God also spoke to me recently about His incomparable Power, manifest in and deriving from the Resurrection, under which we, His children, are now situated: “…the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe according to the operation of the might of his strength, which He caused to operate in Christ in raising Him from the dead and seating Him at His right hand in the heavenlies, far above all rule and authority and power and lordship and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.” (Eph 1.19-21). We are absolutely under the power of God and there is no greater power above His!