Notes
It was now two days before Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The leading priests and the teachers of religious law were still looking for an opportunity to capture Jesus secretly and kill him. “But not during the Passover celebration,” they agreed, “or the people may riot.”
Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy. While he was eating, a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard. She broke open the jar and poured the perfume over his head.
Some of those at the table were indignant. “Why waste such expensive perfume?” they asked. “It could have been sold for a year’s wages and the money given to the poor!” So they scolded her harshly.
But Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. Why criticize her for doing such a good thing to me? You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want to. But you will not always have me. She has done what she could and has anointed my body for burial ahead of time. I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.”
Mark 14:1-9
Jesus was trying to help people understand that He wasn’t just a good teacher or a prophet, but that He was God in human form. Some refused to see that because they were stuck in their own view of who the Messiah should be.
The definition of “awe” is: “a feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder.” The woman in Mark was in awe of who Jesus was, and the way she worshiped Him shows us how to never lose that sense of awe in our own lives.
Here are three principles we learn from the woman in Mark 14 to help us keep our sense of awe:
1) Keep God uncommon
The men in the room no longer viewed themselves as learners under Jesus, but the woman understood who He was. Sometimes we become so familiar with Jesus that we lose our awe, our reverence for Him. Jesus is not just our buddy; He is the Savior of the world. Though He walked with humans, He was always God. He didn’t come just to make a transaction, but to incite transformation.
2) Reduce the worry
The woman shocked the others in the room because of the extravagance of her gift, but she was more focused on her cause than the feelings of the crowd. She hadn’t come to fix the world’s problems, but to worship the solution. For the Church, our mission is to spread the Good News of Jesus throughout the world. We need to remember that the most efficient methods are not always the most effective methods.
3) Seize the moment
The woman had an impact because she saw the opportunity and jumped on it. The passage doesn’t mention a moment’s hesitation on her part. Don’t miss out on moments of worship because your focus is on something or someone else. God will use you if you open yourself up to the opportunity, so don’t let yourself get distracted.
Group Questions
- What does it mean to have a sense of awe?
- When was a time when you were filled with awe?
- Why is God an “uncommon God”?
- How do we reduce the worry when we are doing something for God?
Prayer
You deserve all of our worship and praise. Let us never lose our sense of awe in who you are; you are the Creator, Savior, and Lord.