GIVE GOD OUR BEST (EXTRAVAGANCE)

Philippians 3:4b-14; John 12:1-9

Jesus was on His way to the cross. It was just a few days before Passover. The chief priests and scribes were plotting against Him. Judas was preparing to betray Him. The crucifixion was less than a week away, and Jesus knew it.

In those days, Jesus was invited to a banquet in Bethany, held in His honor because He had raised Lazarus from the dead. Lazarus lived with his two sisters, Mary and Martha. In gratitude, they invited Jesus and His disciples for a meal. As He and His disciples stopped in Bethany, an extraordinary act of love took place.

As they dined, Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, approached Jesus. She carried an alabaster jar filled with very expensive ointment. Breaking the jar, she poured the costly perfume on Jesus' feet and anointed and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. This extravagant act was an expression of love and gratitude. It is right to give our best to the Lord; it is righteous to be extravagant for the Lord. This is precisely what the Gospel of John highlights in this story.

Why did Mary do this? Some believe it was an act of gratitude for raising her brother Lazarus. Others see it as a foreshadowing of Jesus’ death, anointing His body in preparation for burial. All agree it was an act of love and devotion.

Yet, Mary’s beautiful act faced criticism. Judas, one of the disciples, reprimanded her: "What a waste! This perfume could have been sold, and the money given to the poor." But Judas had no intention of helping the poor; his concern was selfish. The Bible said that he was a thief. Jesus, however, defended Mary, recognizing her extravagant love as a righteous and beautiful act.

Mary’s mindset teaches us that sometimes, extravagance is good. If we lived strictly by Judas’ mindset, there would be no church spires, no banners, no flowers on the altar, no art, no robes, and no beautiful wedding, all would be deemed wasteful. But Mary’s perspective tells us that in the name of love and gratitude, extravagance is not wasteful but righteous.

This was an act of sacrificial generosity. Jesus has given us the greatest gift—everlasting life. Though free to us, it came at a great cost: His life.

Mary gave her best to Jesus out of a heart full of gratitude. And in today’s epistle lesson from Philippians, we hear Paul’s story—how he gave his very life to God, even though he had once stood against everything Jesus stood for.

Paul surrendered his entire life to Christ. He was once a man of status, education, and wealth, but he considered all his gains worthless compared to knowing Jesus Christ. He regarded them as rubbish in order to gain Christ. Paul gave his best—his life—for the sake of Christ.

Paul was willing to live or die for Jesus Christ. Before he was martyred, he wrote this letter to the Philippians while in jail. At the time of his writing, everything seemed to be going wrong in his life. However, his words were full of hope and expectation, leaning into the future. He declared his willingness to live for Jesus and die for Jesus.

Paul said, "Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake, I have suffered the loss of all things and regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ."

How can we give our best to God in daily life? We may not be called to be like Paul, but we can be like Mary. How can we cultivate the kind of extravagant gratefulness that Mary demonstrated? Jesus taught us that it is righteous to be extravagant in our generosity and gratitude. When we give our offerings to God, they should not be given reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor. 9:7). Like Mary and Paul, our giving should come from a heart overflowing with gratitude and love.

When we give extravagantly—our time, money, resources, and devotion for Jesus’ sake—we receive extravagant blessings in return. Luke 6:38 affirms, "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back."

It is the Spirit of Jesus Christ that moves us, fills our hearts with gratitude, and enables us to give our best without reservation. His Spirit pours love into our hearts so that our giving is not out of obligation but out of joy.

Jesus gave His most precious life without reservation to offer us the gift of eternal life. Though this gift is free to us, it came at the highest cost. When we offer what is most precious to us without hesitation, Jesus promises to provide abundantly and care for every aspect of our lives.

I strive to give God my best—investing all my energy and life into ministry, providing spiritual nourishment, praying for each one of our congregation, visiting, and evangelizing. A sacrifice truly given to the Lord is never excessive, no matter how extravagant it may seem.

What is the most precious thing in our lives? The Spirit of Christ empowers us to be extravagant in generosity, gratitude, and grace. When we give Jesus our best, He gives us His best in return. Jesus gave His life so that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life. What can we offer to Jesus in return? He desires our very best.

May we follow the examples of Mary and Paul, offering our lives to the Lord and experiencing the miracle of God’s work in our lives each day. Amen