Sermon - Abhishek - Extravagant Love

 Extravagant Love

Passage: Mark 14

The passage talks about the following characters

  • Chief Priest
  • Judas Iscariot
  • Mary

Chief Priests - Selfishness

Verse: Mark 14:1

1 “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.”

These people were trained in the law and yet this chapter opens up with their plotting to murder Jesus. They pursued this training of the Law as a career. And in the middle of their career, they encountered a disruption. The people no longer came to them. They were following Jesus. 

This is the danger of only having selfish desires. They failed to see the truth. 

How does this apply to our life? Are we coming to church for only blessing? God promises to bless and this is true. But if we are coming to church to only see blessing, we might miss Jesus.

Judas Iscariot - Materialism

Verse: John 14:4

4 “Some of those at the table were indignant. “Why waste such expensive perfume?” they asked.”

Judas motivation, who was at the table,  was material wealth. But he forgot that true fulfilment is found only in God.

We live in the world where we are expected to upgrade. The focus of this upgrade is most often directed towards material possession. And the possession we are associated with somehow affects our standing in society. But if true fulfilment is in God, we need to focus our upgrades in Godly Matters. 

Mary - Extravagant Devotion 

The act that Mary engaged in, was a display of extravagant love.

Verse: Mark 14:8

8 “She has done what she could and has anointed my body for burial ahead of time.”

The economic cost for this display was 300 Denaria. Judas was looking for gain of  30 pieces of silver. 

If Mary could do what she could, we are called to do what we can. If we commit to do what we can, God takes that and multiplies it to be beautiful

The boy with the 5 loaves and 2 fish did what he could, Jesus takes it up and blesses it to be a blessing to a crowd of 5000. Can 5 loaves feed 5000? Jesus will do it when you are ready to do what you can do.

Here is what made Mary Special

  • Waiting at the feet of Jesus
  • Weeping at the feet of Jesus
  • Waiting + Weeping will result in Worship

Waiting at the feet of Jesus

Mary’a sister Martha had a lot of work with programs but she missed what Jesus wanted

Verse: Luke 10:42

42 “There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.””

Weeping a the feet of Jesus

Lazarus had died. Martha was the first to greet Jesus. But the encounter with Mary caused Jesus to cry. This is John 11

Waiting + Weeping will result in Worship

The worship was the breaking of the perfume at Jesus feet. This happens in John 12. And so this story of Mary is told where ever the Gospel is preached.

Can we wait and weep at Jesus feet? Are we ready to pay the price to offer worship?

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