Sunday, March 26
“Wasted” generosity and devotion
Scripture: Deuteronomy 15-16, Psalm 36, Matthew 26
Deuteronomy 15:7–8 If a fellow Israelite from one of your villages in the land that the Lord your God is giving you should be poor, you must not harden your heart or be insensitive to his impoverished condition. 8 Instead, you must be sure to open your hand to him and generously lend him whatever he needs.
Deuteronomy 15:11 There will never cease to be some poor people in the land; therefore, I am commanding you to make sure you open your hand to your fellow Israelites who are needy and poor in your land.
Matthew 26:11 For you will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me!
Observation
In the Mosaic law, God makes provision for the poor. The Israelites were to care for one another and generously meet the needs of the poor. The poor will always be among us, so make sure you are generous with them. Don’t be hard-hearted or tight-fisted. Be open-handed and generous.
In Matthew 26 when Jesus is anointed by Mary, the disciples protest her extravagance. “What a waste! This perfume could have been sold for a lot of money and given to the poor.” Jesus corrects them by quoting Deuteronomy 15:11. “You will always have the poor with you.”
“But,” Jesus adds, “you won’t have Me much longer. She has done a beautiful thing for me.”
Application
Two things.
First and most obvious, let’s be open handed and generous with the poor. While we may debate the best way to help them, help them we must! All through Scripture, God presents Himself as the champion of the poor, the oppressed, the downcast and outcast. I admit to being comfortable in my prosperity and it’s easy to “be insensitive to their impoverished condition.” Sometimes I or others might see such generosity as a waste. Do it anyway.
Second, we should also be generous with Jesus, lavish in our worship and obedience. Mary poured out what may have been her life savings in an act of lavish worship to Jesus. Others criticized her; the Lord memorialized her. I would like to be so outrageously committed to Jesus that others would object, but Jesus would be pleased. Sometimes I or others might see such devotion as a waste. Do it anyway.
Prayer: Lord I love You and want to be lavish, extravagant in my love and devotion to You. And I know You want me to be lavish and extravagant in my generosity to the poor. Help me with both!