Title: Mary's Faith / John 12:1-8
Content There is no name in this world that is commonly used by as many people as the name 'Mary'. The name Maria is a widely used name with about 20 variations. 'Maria', 'Marie', 'Miriam' and 'Miriamne' are written as 'Mario' and 'Marion' in the masculine form. Maria is the most commonly used name for women in the United States. In the Bible, the most commonly used male name is 'John', while the female name is 'Mary'.
The fact that the name Maria is so commonly used means that she is a person worthy of imitation, a person who can be put anywhere. There are not many who use the name Judas. Although the meaning of Judas is good, the reason why it is not used well is because the image was tarnished by Judas Iscariot. If you look at it like that, it means that the image of Maria is very good. In the name of the Lord, I pray in the name of the Lord that Mary Women's Church, which remembers and devotes herself to the fact that the name of a woman named Mary is so beautiful, will be seen and called beautifully.
Many Marys are recorded in the Bible. "Most respected of all women" Mary the mother of Jesus; Mary Magdalene "the woman possessed by the seven demons"; Mary the mother of James and Joseph, disciples of Jesus; There is Mary, who helped Paul in chapter 16, and Mary of Bethany in today's text. Maria of Bethany is nicknamed "a woman who will be remembered forever."
1. Mary's Devotion
Jesus arrived in Bethany six days before the Passover. He entered Bethany on the way to Jerusalem. There, a feast was held at the house of Simon the leper, and Mary, Martha, and Judges were invited. No, when they heard that Jesus had come to Bethany, these three men ran to Jesus. At the feast, Martha worked hard, and Mary devoted herself to bringing a very expensive perfume, pouring it on Jesus' feet and washing it with his hair. Find out more about Mary's dedication
① Pure Nad Han Geun
Nad perfume oil is a perfume oil from the East, and its origin was in the East. Therefore, it was very difficult to procure from within Judea, and the price was very high because imports were unavoidable. Also, since it takes up little space, the investment value is high, and the price is high, but it was about 300 denarii for about 340g. This is equivalent to one year's wages for a worker. This is equivalent to an annual salary of 15 million won or 20 million won. Actually, this is not easy. Every time Israel offered a burnt offering to God, they had to offer a calf, sheep, or goat. This is not an easy task, but Mary generously gave the Lord the perfume equivalent to her annual salary. Mary's devotion was remarkable when we look back at ourselves today as we struggle to pay our tithing.
Also, this perfume was not easy to find. She must have labored for several years and managed to obtain this ointment. But when the Lord came, they gave generously. You have given the most precious thing to the Lord. I was prepared and I gave to the Lord what I valued the most. But what about ourselves? Don't you have the kind of faith that you take away everything and give the leftovers to the Lord?
② I washed my hair and feet.
It was customary for Jews to wash the hands of invited guests at feasts. But today Mary is washing Jesus' feet with perfume. It was extremely rare to wash a guest's feet, and washing the guests' feet in particular was the job of the lowest class slaves. In other words, Mary became a slave to Jesus and washed His feet. He did not wash it with his hands, but he washed the Lord's feet with his own hair.
In fact, Mary's devotion is valuable, precious, and commendable just by giving the perfume of Nad Han-geun. However, Mary made a devotion to fully support not only her precious material but also herself to the Lord.
Sometimes we think that if we give our things to God, we do everything. Therefore, if I donate the material, I say and think about what else I should do. Since I gave a lot of material things, there are people who think that they can enjoy it at church and take care of it. Today, however, Mary not only gave her material things, but also humbled herself thoroughly, setting an example of devotion to the Lord.
Example) I hear that if you donate a lot to build a church, the church will exercise your rights.
It is a church that I built with how much money I paid, and they are asking if it can be done without me. I also hear that people who donated a lot are claiming their right to their money in the church.
Mary was a woman who devoted herself to being humbled like a servant, even after offering precious perfumes of great price to the Lord. When we see Mary's devotion, we are so humble that we have to confess our burden.
③ It was devotion with all his might.
Does this mean that we should give as much as Mary did? Are you saying that you should give money equal to your annual salary to God? Jesus described the anointing of Mary with perfume. Mark 14:8 “He anointed my body with perfumed oil to prepare for my burial.”
Mary devoted herself to the Lord with all her might. He did the best he could. If he had only 10,000 won, he would have devoted so much. It's not the size of the amount that matters, it's the heart that matters. Therefore, the Lord valued and praised the widow's two lepton money more than the rich man's large amount of money. Because the widow worked hard to give. The Lord doesn't measure the amount of our dedication, He looks at our devotion, strength, and heart.
But don't we try to give the Lord what is not the best, but what is best, and receive His love and blessing? Aren't we using everything we need, having fun with everything we need, enjoying everything we have to enjoy, enjoying everything we need, and giving the rest to the Lord? The Lord wants the best. It is the God who asked Abraham for the best thing, Isaac. When he gave his best to God, God was pleased and acknowledged. The Lord delights in and loves those who dedicate themselves to the Lord and serve Him as best as I can.
Example) Children show filial piety to their parents
Who would you be more pleased with if you gave some of your children the best of yours, and others of the next best? Who do you love to love, a person who is good to his parents by sparing his own needs, saving food, and knowing what to wear, or a child who takes care of his own needs, eats everything, enjoys everything he wants, and gives the rest to his parents? It doesn't matter if you don't know which child is doing it. But knowing it is a problem. God sees and knows every aspect of us and our devotion. Therefore, I hope that you will always be a saint who devotes himself to Hanami as the best.
④ People cannot understand it, but it is a dedication that is praised by the Lord.
When Mary broke the perfume and washed the Lord's feet, Judas Iscariot scolded him, saying, "Why are you wasting it? It would be good to sell it and give it to the poor." Perhaps the people around him must have felt the same way. But the Lord commended his dedication. He also said, "Wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, tell what this woman has done in remembrance of her." No one has ever heard the praise of the Lord. The Lord told her to commemorate her deeds. Mary made a devotion to hear the praises of the Lord.
In the New Testament era, the Pharisees lived their lives of faith in order to receive praise from people. People praised the Pharisees. They were praised for being diligent in prayer, fasting, and giving alms, but Jesus rebuked them. In other words, there are those who listen to God's praise and those who listen to people's praise.
Mary's dedication was a dedication that was praised by the Lord, and it was a dedication that prepared the Lord's burial.
Sometimes our cries of prayer, fervent hymns, frequent gatherings of worship, and the evangelism we seek despite all kinds of humiliation may not be understood by people. However, this is an act with the hope of heaven, a blessing from heaven, and a praise from the Lord.
I bless you in the name of the Lord to have a devotion that is praised like Mary.
2. Foundations of Mary's Consecrated Faith
① Mary, a woman who longs for the Word (Luke 10:38-42)
“As they were going on the road, Jesus went into a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. But he came to Jesus and said, "Lord, do you not think that my brother is leaving me to work alone? Command him to help me. A few things or even just one is enough. Mary has chosen the good part, and it will not be taken from her."
Mary liked to hear the word and was a woman she longed for.
John 1:1 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
The Word is God. Jesus Christ is the Word who became flesh. To long for the Word is to long for Jesus and to meet God.
Psalm 119:105 "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."
The Word is the light that guides our way of life, the wife plate, and the guide. Therefore, only when you stand in the Word can you live a righteous life and enter the kingdom of heaven.
Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart."
Words are power. Those who long for the Word will have the power of the Word within them. History happens.
Mary's faith in devotion was because she had faith in longing for the Word. Only those who stand in the Word can make such devotion.
② Mary, the woman who had faith - The woman who prayed
In John 11, Mary and Martha sent to Jesus when Lazarus was sick and asked him to come. They had faith in Jesus. Therefore, when they had a problem, Lazarus was sick, so they sent someone to Jesus. But after Jesus had spent two days there, he went to the house of Lazarus. Meanwhile, Lazarus died and was already buried. When Jesus came to the house, Mary said, "If you had been here from the Lord, your brother would not have died." Mary was a woman who had a strong faith in Jesus and hung on him.
Although Mary did not yet have faith that the dead would be raised from the dead, there was a belief that if Jesus was with them, the sick would rise, and the woman who was looking for Jesus was Mary.
Mary, the woman who ran to the Lord in front of the problem, was the woman who set the example of prayer.
Prayer is to have the heart of devotion to the Lord and to have the power of devotion.
The reason we don't dedicate today is because we don't pray.
Mary, a woman of prayer, who believed in the power of the Lord and ran to the Lord. That was the basis of his devotion.
③ Mary Experienced Resurrection
Jesus said, "Go to the tomb of the dead Lazarus and remove the stone." He called, "Lazarus, come out." The dead Lazarus came out with his hands and feet wrapped in sackcloth, and his face was covered with a towel. Mary experienced the resurrection of Lazarus. experienced the power of the Lord. Because Mary experienced the power of the Lord and experienced the power of resurrection, she was able to make amazing devotion to the Lord.
Only those who have received great grace can repay great grace,
Those with great powers will repay you greatly.
Mary, who experienced the power of the resurrection, made a thorough devotion, giving both her perishable material and her perishable body. Because he experienced the power of resurrection, he experienced the power of life, so he made such devotion.
Faith with experience transforms people and makes them committed.
faith in the word,
faith in prayer,
Because we have the faith of experience and the faith of the resurrection
I hope that you will become a saint with devotion like Mary to the Lord, and devotion to receive praise.