09 Oct Mark 33: How much is Jesus worth to you?

Mark 14:1-11

It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him, ² for they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar from the people.” ³ 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. ⁴ There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? ⁵ For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her. ⁶ But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. ⁷ 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. ⁸ She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. ⁹ 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.” ¹⁰ Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. ¹¹ And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to betray him.

Let me start with a question. How do we know the worth of something? There is an interesting book called Priceless by William Poundstone that is all about how things get their price. The main thesis of the book is that we really have no idea what anything is really worth. In the book, a Broadway producer explained how when they had an orchestra, they tried to sell the balcony seats very cheap, thinking that those seats were not the best seats in the house. Do you know what happened? No one would buy them. People assumed the seats must be very bad because they were cheap. So, can you guess what they did to sell those balcony seats? They made them expensive. Because when people looked at the price, they said, “Check out the price. It is expensive. It must be good seats.” So, they figured that they could sell more seats for $300 than they do for $100. Isn’t that interesting? Like when Kanye released his line of sneakers called Yeezy. People would spend thousands of dollars to buy Yeezy. And the most expensive Yeezy was sold for USD 11,400. Is it worth it? If you ask sneaker collectors, they might say yes. If you ask me, definitely not. The most I would pay for a Yeezy is a hundred bucks. They are not comfortable to wear. How do I know? I own one. Let’s be clear. I didn’t buy it; it was given to me. But if you want to take a picture of me wearing it while I am preaching and send it to @preachersnsneakers let me know. It can be arranged. The point is, we don’t really know what things are really worth. And the question that our text is asking us today is, do we know the worth of Jesus? Because many of us probably don’t.

Let me give you the context first. If you remember our sermons from a few weeks ago, a poor widow gave all she had into the offering box and Jesus praised her. She knew God deserved her best and she gave everything she had to God. That’s how much God is worth to her. Everything. And last week we looked at how Jesus gave a long talk about the destruction of the temple and the sign of his second coming. And now, Jesus is back in Bethany, and he is invited to have dinner at Simon’s house. In today’s passage, we see striking contrast to the worth of Jesus. We see another woman who gives her absolute best to Jesus. And we see one of the twelve disciples who sell Jesus for a very low price. And I believe one of the reasons why Mark puts these two stories next to each other is for us to compare the two. And the question we need to ask ourselves is, which side do we fall on? Are we on the side of those who give their best to Jesus? Or are we on the side of those who sell Jesus for a very low price? Let me make it more personal because this text is very personal. This is the question that the text is asking us: How much is Jesus worth to you?

I have four points for my sermon. The cost; The criticism; The commendation; The contrast.

The cost

Mark 14:1-3 – It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him, ² for they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar from the people.” ³ 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.

By this time, Jesus’ death is set in stone. The religious leaders have decided to arrest and kill Jesus. But they don’t want to do it publicly because they know it will cause an uproar. The crowd loves Jesus. That’s why they want to arrest Jesus by stealth. That’s the setting of this story. Jesus’ death is only a matter of time. And then Mark switches the camera and zooms in on the dinner celebration at Bethany. Jesus and his disciples are invited to eat at the house of Simon the leper. Obviously, Simon is no longer a leper. He is an ex-leper. A leper is not allowed to host dinner and invite people to his house. It’s like being invited to a birthday celebration of someone positive with Covid. Let’s be honest. How many of you would come to the celebration? How many of you would not come to the celebration? Such loyal friends we are. So, Simon is most likely a leper whom Jesus has healed. And this dinner might be a celebration of his healing. And while they are reclining at table and enjoying the celebration, something very odd happens. They witness a scandalous event that they will never forget for the rest of their life. A woman approaches Jesus. Now, Mark doesn’t tell us the name of this woman. But the account of John tells us that this woman is none other than Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. If you are familiar with Bible stories, this is the same Mary who loves to sit at Jesus’ feet listening to Jesus while her sister, Martha, is busy cooking for Jesus. Ladies, if you have a sister, you know that this is how it usually works. One of you is the one who does all the work at home, and the other is the one who loves to sit at the feet of Netflix. John tells us that Mary, Martha, and Lazarus are at this celebration. But then Mary decides to break Jewish protocol. She interrupts Jewish male fellowship. A woman is not allowed to do that except when she is serving food. Mary comes to Jesus, and she brings with her an alabaster jar of perfume of pure nard.

Now, I am not an expert in perfume or plants. So, I am not going to explain to you the detail behind this Himalayan plant and how significant and rare it is etc. I don’t know anything about plants, or the complexity behind this perfume. But I know a lot about money. And I can tell you with confidence that this perfume is very expensive. How expensive? That I can tell you. Talk about plants, I am clueless. Talk about money, I am well informed. Apparently, this perfume costs 300 denarii. A denarius is a day’s wage. So, 300 denarii are a year worth of wages since Jews don’t work on Sabbath. So, let’s put it in today’s equivalent. This perfume is worth $50,000. This is ridiculously expensive. I mean, what kind of perfume costs this much? So, I went to google and typed, “The most expensive perfume in the world.” And I was shocked. It is called Shumukh. It enters the Guinness World Record for having the most diamonds set on a perfume bottle. It is a unisex perfume. It is estimated that its fragrance lasts for more than 12 hours on human skin and around 30 days when it is used on fabric. And it costs USD 1,29 million. If you are using Shumukh before you come to church today, you are feeling awkward right now. But I am guessing that none of you is using it. If you are, let’s talk after the service. I have a church-building proposal that might interest you. But let’s not talk about USD 1,29 million. Can we agree that a $50,000 bottle of perfume is already ridiculously over the top?

The question is, how did Mary own such an expensive bottle of perfume? Is she a crazy rich Jew? It’s possible. But commentators agree that the most likely explanation is that this bottle of perfume is a family heirloom. It’s been handed down from one generation to another. So, Mary brings her family heirloom to this dinner. And I am guessing when Martha looks at Mary with the alabaster jar, she goes, “Hmm… That alabaster jar looks familiar. It looks like our family’s heirloom. Wait. It is our family’s heirloom. Oh my gosh. Why did she bring it to this party?” And what happens next shocks Martha and everyone else in the room. You know that when you have a bottle of perfume, you meant to use only a drop or two at a time. Some people seem to be oblivious to this fact. They would use perfume like they use deodorant. We call them teenagers. So, everyone in the room thinks that Mary will probably use a drop or two to make Jesus smell better. But what Mary does next horrify everyone. She breaks the alabaster jar. It means there is no turning back. Once the jar is broken, it cannot be used anymore. So, Mary is not pouring a drop or two on Jesus, she is splattering it all over Jesus. Mary pours out the perfume over Jesus’ head and to his feet. Mary gives Jesus a bath of precious perfume. And we must understand this action in its context. In our context, if someone comes to our house and starts pouring stuff over our heads, that’s not a good thing. We should be concerned. But in the context of that day, it is a good thing. To anoint someone’s head with oil is an acceptable thing. So, what we see is essentially a woman who pours away everything she has on Jesus. She is saying, “Jesus, whatever hopes, dreams, plans, ambitions I have, I am pouring it all on you. I am giving the very best thing I have to you. I am not holding anything back. All I have is yours.” And if you are Martha, you are probably thinking, “But that perfume in mine as well. That is our family’s saving account. Oh sister, what have you done?” But Mary is not done.

Mark doesn’t tell us, but John tells us that after Mary pours out the perfume over Jesus’s head and feet, she wipes Jesus’ feet with her hair. In the ancient world, it is almost scandalous for a single woman to let her hair down. It is considered to be a sign of loose morals. And Mary not only loosens her hair but also uses her hair to wipe Jesus’ feet. This is not normal. Some of you might say, “Well, what does it really say in the original language?” Let me tell you what it says in the original language. It’s weird, that’s what it says in Greek. No matter what angle and culture we try to look at it, there is no way to make this normal. Mary is breaking all sorts of societal norms. What is Mary doing? Here’s what she’s saying. She’s saying to Jesus, “I don’t care what people think of me. I know who you are. I know you deserve my best. I know you deserve my devotion. There is nothing that can make me ashamed of you. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks, I must honour you with everything I have.”

So, let’s pause here for a bit. Here are some questions that the text is asking us. What is our alabaster jar? What does our devotion to Jesus cost us? Because here is what we must get. It is one thing to say Jesus is worthy; it is another thing to break our alabaster jar for him. The question is not whether we think Jesus is worthy or not. We are in church. Of course, we say Jesus is worthy. The question is, are we breaking our alabaster jar? Do you see what Mary did? Mary is not giving Jesus 10%. She is not giving Jesus 70% or 99%. She is giving Jesus 100%. She breaks her alabaster jar. She is willing to give up anything for Jesus. She is giving up her most treasured possession, her right, and her heart. So, the question is, what is our alabaster jar? What is our most treasured possession? Is it our portfolio? Is it our saving account? Is it our investment? Our spouse, our children, our lifestyle, our self-image, our business? Is it our standard of living? Until we are able to bring our alabaster jar to Jesus and break it for Jesus, we have yet to know the true worth of Jesus. Until we are willing to give up anything for Jesus, we have yet to know how much Jesus is truly worth. Because Jesus is worth infinitely more than our alabaster jar.

The criticism

Mark 14:4-5 – ⁴ There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? ⁵ For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her.

When the people at the dinner see what Mary does, they are not amazed by it. They are angry because of it. They are scandalized by what’s happening before their eyes. And Mark doesn’t tell us the identity of the people who are scandalized by what they see. But other gospel writers tell us that it is Jesus’ disciples who criticize Mary. Judas is the one who voices his concern, but the rest of the disciples agree with him. They say, “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 let me be honest. I can sympathize with the disciples. Their reasoning is very logical. I mean, why waste $50,000 just like that? There are a lot of poor people in Africa who can use the money. With that money, we can feed so many hungry people and provides clothing and shelter. $50,000 would be a remarkable gift to them. The disciples are being very practical. They see what Mary does as an inexcusable extravagance. It is a waste.

Imagine a man going off to the fiercest war, and he is almost surely going to die. And on his way to a battlefield, someone says, “I like to give you a parting gift. Here is a $50,000 Rolex watch so you can keep track of time during the war.” What would we say? We would say, “What a waste. He is going to die. Can I have the Rolex instead?” The disciples see Mary’s costly devotion as a waste. But here is what we must get. They are not only demeaning Mary but also Jesus. By criticizing Mary’s costly devotion, they are saying that Jesus is not worthy to be honoured in this manner. They do not see the worth of Jesus. We understand this. The value of a gift signals the value of the person to whom the gift is given. If I buy you a soft-serve cone for your birthday, you know that you are worth $0.70 to me. But if I buy you a Ferrari for your birthday, you know that you are worth more than life to me. Because it would cost me the rest of my life to pay for the car. For Mary, Jesus’ worth is infinite. Mary deems Jesus worthy of her sacrifice. But not the disciples. The disciples criticize Mary for the very reason that she is willing to give up her most treasured possession for Jesus. In other words, the disciples do not think that Jesus is worthy of her total devotion.

And this is the world that we lived in. The world and, in fact, many Christians, have no problem with moderate devotion to Jesus. But they have a big problem with total devotion to Jesus. Let me give you an example. True story. There were two young women who came to a minister and said that when they got out of college, they decided to go into missions. They wanted to work in third-world countries doing community health and development and start new churches. And later, the parents of these two women came to this minister and said, “They are just girls. You are an adult. Talk some sense into them. They can’t go into third-world countries for missions. They need to get a job. They need to get a master’s degree. They need to get married. They need to have some security.” But are they right? As if getting a master’s degree and getting married can give security in life. Can you see what happened? People don’t have any problem with moderate devotion to Jesus. But when you walk away from your career to be a full-time pastor, when you walk away from your parents to be a missionary, when you prioritize coming to church and serving God over taking your children to soccer practice and birthday parties, when you invest your money in the eternal Kingdom of God over your future security, people will say, “Are you out of your mind? This is such a waste of your life, your money, and your time. It is not worth it.” Listen. Too many of us have a devotion to Jesus that makes sense to the world. And it shouldn’t. Our devotion to Jesus should not make sense to non-Christians. If our life makes sense to the watching world, then we do not know the true worth of Jesus. So, here is a question. Does our devotion to Jesus make sense to the world? Because total extravagant devotion to Jesus does not make sense. Mary is criticized by the disciples because of it. But look at what Jesus says.

The commendation

Mark 14:6-9 – ⁶ But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. ⁷ 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. ⁸ She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. ⁹ 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.”

This is remarkable. Jesus tells the people, “Leave her alone. For she has done a beautiful thing to me.” The disciples look at Mary’s devotion and say, “What a wasteful thing.” Jesus looks at Mary’s devotion and says, “What a beautiful thing.” And it is not about the material value. It is not beautiful because it is expensive. It is beautiful because it reflects Mary’s heart. Mary has seen Jesus and she says, “Jesus is worth my alabaster jar. He is more than worth it.” For Mary, what she does is not a waste. Because she has new software for doing accounting. Jesus puts it this way. Matthew 13:44 – “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” One day a man finds a treasure hidden in a field. He knows that this treasure worth so much more than everything he has. So, he sells everything he has and buys that field. And pay attention to the man’s response. He does not sell everything he has begrudgingly. He does not do it with a sad face. He sells everything he has in his joy. Not sadness but joy. Why? Because the treasure hidden in the field is worth so much more than everything he possesses. This is what Jesus is getting at. Jesus is worth the cost. Yes, we may lose everything we have. Yes, we may have to sell everything we have. But it is worth it because Jesus is far better. Whatever transaction we make to honour Jesus, it is worth it. Jesus calls it a beautiful thing.

If you ever fall in love, you get it. When we fall in love, we do silly things. I don’t know if a love letter is still a thing today but back in the day when I received my first love letter from my crush at the age of 15, I spent hours reading that letter. And that letter was only a page long. I paid attention to every word she wrote, and I dissected it. “Dear Yosi…” Two words and I paused and pondered already. “What is the meaning of this ‘dear’? Does she call everyone dear or am I dear to her?” “Dear Yosi, I’ve been thinking about you…” “She is thinking about me. In what way? In a friend way or in a more than a friend way?” Then she wrote, “I have been praying for you.” “Is this a general prayer or is it a prayer about us being together?” Then she drew a smiley face. And I thought, “Aw, she is smiling at me.” You might think I was obsessive, but every word mattered to me. And the next day I failed my quiz because of it. It was a dumb transaction for sure, but it was a joyful one. But the cost we pay to honour Jesus is never dumb because it is the only transaction that is worth it, whatever the cost. It is a beautiful thing because Jesus is the treasure above all treasures.

And looks at verse 7. It is striking. Mark 14:7 – ⁷ 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. What is Jesus saying here? Does Jesus not care about the poor? It is the opposite. Throughout his ministry, Jesus continues to care for the poor. And the New Testament is clear about us caring for the poor. But what Jesus points out is that they will always have the poor with them. The poor represent an ongoing opportunity and ongoing obligation. But not so with Jesus. They will not always have Jesus. Because in a matter of days, Jesus will die, and they won’t see him anymore. In other words, Jesus is telling them that he wants them to put much greater value on him than the poor. And this is probably the most shocking thing in the story. Yes, the alabaster jar is shocking. Yes, wiping Jesus’s feet with hair is shocking. But the most shocking thing in this story is the way Jesus talks about himself. Jesus seems to think that he is the number one priority in the world. He basically looks at everything Mary does and says, “I am worth it.” I mean, who talks like that? Imagine if one day the leaders in the church wanted to honour me. So, they decided to buy me a brand-new Ferrari that costs almost $1 million. You heard about it, and you were very upset. So, you came up to me and said, “That money could be used for many better things. We can help the poor people all over NSW with it.” And I said, “Poor people? There are a lot of poor people. But there is only one me. Relax. I am worth it.” If that ever happens, you should move to a new church or replace me with a different pastor. Because I am not worth it. No one is. But Jesus is worth it. Once again, Jesus is in no way devaluing the poor. Jesus is telling us, “Yes, take care of the poor but worship the Saviour.” Because it is possible to care for the poor and minister to others and not worship Jesus.

Mark 14:9 – ⁹ 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.” Wow. What a commendation. Jesus says that what Mary has done will never be forgotten. Wherever the gospel is preached, what she has done will be told in memory of her. Long after the Roman empire was no more, long after kings and presidents passed away, the beautiful act of Mary will be remembered. And 2000 years later we are still talking about it. All because Mary thinks Jesus is worth it. Mary receives criticism from everyone around her, but she receives Jesus’ commendation. So, if there is any voice that tells us to moderate our love for Jesus, ignore it. For the world, it might be a waste. But for Jesus, it is beautiful. At the end of the day, it is not what we say about ourselves that matters. It is not what others say about us that matters. It is what Jesus says about us that matters. Parents, do you want to make a difference in the life of your children? Show them your beautiful devotion to Jesus. What your children need most is not more money, more toys, more opportunity, getting into the best schools, having the best exam results, having more extracurricular lessons, travelling around the world at 5. No. What your children need the most from you is to see your love for Jesus. Your children need to see that daddy and mommy think that Jesus is worth it.

The contrast

Mark 14:10-11 – ¹⁰ Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. ¹¹ And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to betray him.

If Mary is a picture of someone who says, “Jesus is worth it,” Judas is a picture of someone who says, “Jesus is not worth it.” And this is extremely shocking because Judas is not a stranger. Judas is one of the twelve disciples. He knows Jesus very well. If there is anyone who would know the true worth of Jesus, it should have been him. But rather than giving Jesus what he is worth, Judas goes to the chief priest to betray Jesus. Note carefully. It is not the religious leaders who go to Judas. It is Judas who goes to the religious leaders. This gives us a strong warning. Proximity to Jesus does not guarantee faithfulness. We can be around Jesus all our lives and never see his true worth. And when the chief priests hear about Judas’ plan to betray Jesus, they are very happy. They promise to give Judas money. Mark doesn’t tell us how much, but other accounts tell us that Judas betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. Many scholars think that silver is just another way of describing denarius, which was the most common silver coin of that day. So, let’s do the math. Mary pours out 300 denarii for Jesus. Judas sells Jesus for 30 denarii. Judas sells Jesus for one-tenth of the price Mary pours out. If Mary thinks that Jesus is worth $50,000, Judas is more than happy to receive $5,000 for Jesus. Do you know what we call this? We call this a terrible bargain. Judas has no idea what Jesus is truly worth.

Can you see the contrast between Mary and Judas? Mary is a woman with no real standing; Judas is one of the twelve disciples. Mary gives all she has to Jesus; Judas takes as much as he can for Jesus. Mary blesses Jesus; Judas betrays Jesus. Mary loves Jesus; Judas uses Jesus. Mary does a beautiful thing; Judas does a despicable thing. Mary is remembered for her devotion; Judas is remembered for his betrayal. Ultimately, it comes down to this. Jonathan Edwards says that the thing that shocks everybody about Mary’s act of devotion is its uselessness. Think about it. It is useless to Jesus. Jesus doesn’t need to be anointed with $50,000 perfume. $50 oil is more than sufficient already. And it is also useless to Mary. Mary knows that Jesus loves her and her family already. They are some of Jesus’ closest friends. She doesn’t need to earn his favour. In other words, the main contrast between Mary and Judas is that Mary finds Jesus beautiful; Judas finds Jesus useful. Mary says, “I serve Jesus because I deserve nothing, but Jesus has given me everything. I see him as beautiful, and he is my treasure. Jesus is worth my $50,000 perfume.” Judas says, “I serve Jesus to get things from Jesus. I see him as useful. And if he is no longer useful, I will sell him and gain as much as I can from it, even if it’s just $5,000.”

And before we go high and mighty toward Judas, consider this. We sell Jesus for far less than 30 pieces of silver more often than we would like to admit. The question that this text is presenting us is this: What is our price? Maybe we are willing to follow Jesus when everything works out well, but at what point do we stop? How often do we see people, even pastors, sell out Jesus for a few minutes of sex? How often do we sell Jesus for a good reputation at the office? For the approval of our classmates that we won’t see again? For acknowledgment of people we don’t even like? For the business deal that makes our bank account slightly fatter? For working hours that stop us from committing to church and MC? We sell Jesus for a lot less than 30 pieces of silver all the time. No one would make that bargain after a reasonable cost/benefit analysis. But sin makes us stupid. We might be at church. We might know the gospel inside out. But at the same time, we are blind to Jesus’ true worth. We are Judas. We don’t think Jesus is worth it. Whatever it is, that’s our price. And unless we see the true worth of Jesus, we are going to continue to sell Jesus.

So, the question is, how can we see the true worth of Jesus? If you are paying attention, you would have realized that there is one verse that I intentionally skipped earlier. And it is verse 8. Mark 14:8 – ⁸ She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. Now, this verse is puzzling. Some commentators say Mary knows about Jesus’ sacrificial death for God’s people. She has this insight from God that Jesus would have to die and be resurrected for our sins. I am not convinced that’s the case. On the other hand, many commentators say she couldn’t possibly know that Jesus is going to die. No one at that time expected the Messiah to die and be resurrected. So how do we explain this verse? I think the answer lies somewhere in between. She couldn’t possibly understand all the significance that comes with Jesus’ death, but she somehow knows that Jesus is going to die. You can call it a woman’s intuition if you want. Here is what happened. The Jewish law demanded that no Jew be buried without being anointed. But in just a matter of days, Jesus is going to be captured, taken away, beaten, and crucified. And he is going to be buried without being anointed. And in the providence of God, here in the house of Simon the leper, the anointing and preparation for Jesus’ burial takes place.

Mary does not understand exactly, but somehow Mary’s faith and her love for Jesus enable her to perceive something no one else knows at the time. She realises Jesus is going to die. That is why she anoints Jesus and prepares Jesus for burial. So, when she anoints Jesus and wipes Jesus’ feet with her hair, she is saying, “Lord, I don’t understand what is going to happen. But I know that you are going to die, and you are going to do it for me. And it overwhelms me. That’s why I want to lavish all my affection on you.” And if Mary can do that with the little that she knows, how much more for us? Today, we know exactly why Jesus must die. Jesus must die because it is the only way for us to be saved. It is the only way for us to have eternal life. The price of our eternal life is the death of the eternal perfect Son of God. At the cross, Jesus took all the punishment for sins that we deserved. Just like Mary shattered her alabaster jar, Jesus’s body was shattered. Jesus literally gave everything he had so that everyone who put their faith in him will not perish but have eternal life. But if Mary broke her jar for the treasure above all treasures, Jesus broke his body for broken sinful people. But through the cross, Jesus tells us, “You are worth it. You are worth the cross to me.” We are worth the cross to Jesus. The question is, do we see it? Do we see Jesus dying at the cross for us? Do we see how much we are worth to Jesus? To the degree we see how much we are worth to Jesus, to that degree we see Jesus’ true worth. The fact of the matter is we cannot love Jesus too much. We cannot devote ourselves to Jesus too much. When we see the true worth of Jesus, it’s like the stars go out because the sun arises. What seems very valuable to our hearts becomes expendable. Because Jesus is worth infinitely more. The question is, how much is Jesus worth to you? Let’s pray.

Discussion questions:

1. What struck you the most from the sermon?
2. Why do you think it is very hard for people to break their alabaster jar for Jesus?
3. Based on your own experience, what are some logical reasons people have against total devotion to Jesus? Why are they wrong?
4. Why did Jesus call what Mary did a beautiful thing? What does it say about our devotion to Jesus?
5. What is the main difference between Mary and Judas? Can you see the characteristics of Judas in you? Share it with others.
6. How does the gospel empower you to break your alabaster jar for Jesus?