Extravagant Love

A friend of mine recently gave his wife two dozen red roses. I thought one dozen would have been enough but he outdid all expectations and purchased two dozen! Extravagance! Two days later, they left town and gave us the roses.

Carlos Rogers, who played for the Toronto Raptors, dared to do something incredible. He had worked hard to get to the NBA and his dream had come true. His future, all the benefits he had worked for, were right before him.

But Carlos’ sister was sick and could not survive without a new kidney. Rogers left his position in the NBA to go home and donate one of his kidneys to his sister. He knew it would end his career, but compared to his love for his sister, he didn’t care. He loved her more than his dreams. Unfortunately his sister died before she could receive the kidney. USA TODAY called Carlos Rogers the most unselfish man in the NBA because of his extravagant love.

Extravagance means lavish, wasteful, excessive, unrestrained. Once in a while we see extravagant love shown to someone. What about loving Jesus? Extravagant love for Jesus is love that has no boundaries. It’s beyond the normal.

AN EXAMPLE OF EXTRAVAGANT LOVE

It was just before Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when Jesus would eat the last supper with the disciples. It was less than a week before Jesus would face the cross.

It was in Bethany, the village outside Jerusalem where Lazarus who had been raised from the dead, now lived. Jesus was dining in the home of Simon the Leper. As his custom was, he was reclining as he ate. While he was eating, Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, did something that has gone down in history as an astounding expression of love. Mary poured a pint of nard on Jesus’ feet and then wiped his feet with her hair.

What can we learn from Mary?

EXPRESS EXTRAVAGANT LOVE

It was customary in the Middle East that when a guest arrived in the home, or sometimes during the meal, a few drops of oil or perfume were dropped on the guest as a sign of hospitality. Mary did much more. She took this rare and expensive perfume that originated in India, and she poured the whole pint on Jesus. She poured it all out.

We can thank Judas for calculating the cost. In every crowd there are people like Judas who think it’s their job to count the cost of everything. Judas figured the cost to be  “a year’s wages.” This was not cheap perfume. Take your income for a year, spend the entire amount on one bottle of perfume. This shows how much she loved Jesus. There is no indication that she was rich. There is every indication that Mary, Martha and Lazarus were average people.

Mary poured out the oil. It was the custom of the day that when perfume was poured on an important person, the jar was broken to show that it could never be used on anyone else. That’s what Mary did. It indicated her total, unreserved love for Jesus.

When you love someone, no cost is too great. The person who counts every penny, really is saying, “I begrudge having to do this.” For the person in love, there is a joyous abandonment.

Mary was extravagant in her love for Jesus. How about you?

Common sense said a few drops would be enough. That was all that custom required. The common sense way was to be practical. It didn’t make sense to use a whole pint of perfume, but common sense is not necessarily the right way to love.

Most of us would have found it difficult to blow a whole year’s wages in a few moments of love. It’s good to be practical. At times extravagance doesn’t make sense, but there are times to show extravagant love. There are times to be exuberant in our praising and hilarious in our giving.

Mary did the right thing, though it didn’t make much sense to those who were watching.

Some of us are so logical and practical that we find it difficult to love Jesus with passion. There are times, however, to show Jesus special love. This opportunity for Mary didn’t repeat itself. This wasn’t something Mary could do or even should do every week. The opportunity came once. If she hadn’t done it then, she could never have done it. A week later would have been too late. In just seven days, Jesus was on the cross. Mary had one chance and she used it.

There is no indication Mary said anything on this occasion.  She anointed Jesus quietly, without saying a word. Her actions spoke louder than her words; her behavior overpowered the conversation around the dinner table.

It isn’t always the most vocal people who show the greatest love to God. Frequently it is the quiet action that is the most loving. Sometimes the silent kindness says, “I love you” the loudest. It’s not the loudest people in the church who are necessarily the most loving; great lovers let their actions speak for them.

What extravagant act of love can you give to Jesus?

EXPECT MISUNDERSTANDING AND EVEN CRITICISM

Whenever someone does something extravagant, there will be critics. This incident was no exception.

There were two primary criticisms. The critics said, “What a waste!”  They thought a cheaper perfume would have sufficed.

The critics also said, “How irresponsible!” They thought that if the perfume had been sold and the money given to the poor, much good could have been accomplished.

Expressing extravagant love sometimes leads to criticism. It wasn’t the Jewish leaders who were upset; it was the followers of Jesus.

It’s the same today. At times, those outside the church criticize us, but more often and far more damaging is criticism within the church. There are always those who calculate every penny on the financial statements or who get upset when someone is too exuberant in praise. Let someone become overly expressive in singing or praying and there will always be some serious saint who wants to bring him into line.

There is a proper way to conduct the affairs of the church and when people are out of line, they need to be corrected, but it may be appropriate to do the unusual. There is a place for extravagant love. When you do the extravagant thing and people criticize you, don’t let what others say stop you from doing the right thing.

This woman displeased the disciples but pleased the Lord. She was concerned about pleasing Jesus more than impressing the other guests.

When you attend church, get your eyes off the crowd and onto Jesus. Don’t be self-conscious, be God-conscious.

EMBRACE WHAT’S POSSIBLE

Jesus’ reaction was different from that of Judas. Jesus commended her, saying, She did what she could.  (Mark 14:8).

There is no miracle in this story. The perfume did not multiply. The broken jar was not miraculously put back together. Everything that occurred, happened in the realm of the natural. There was nothing miraculous.

Sometimes we say we could love God more if only we could sing better, speak more eloquently or have more self-confidence. Mary couldn’t do much, but she did what she could.

Jesus honored Mary because she gave the Lord her best. She gave without hesitation, she gave in spite of the critics and she gave out of a heart of love. Jesus was saying, Silence! What Mary did was beautiful!

There is something each one of us can do to please the Lord. It may not be what someone else can do but there is something we can do.

No one told Mary what to do. Jesus had not taught the disciples to break alabaster jars of perfume and anoint people. This was not an expected practice but a spontaneous action, growing out of Mary’s love for the Lord.

What’s in your jar that you can pour out on Jesus?

Grab opportunities to express love when you can. Jesus told the critics, The poor you always have with you but I am only here a little while.  Jesus did not tell us to disregard the poor. He did not tell us to live self-indulgently. Jesus told us to make the most of the opportunities that come our way. When you have a chance to demonstrate love, break a vase!

Many people have lived long and saved for some future day, only to die with a lot of money in the bank. God wants us to use what we have to give him praise and glory!

When was the last time you “broke a vase?” When was the last time you did something for someone that was not the sensible, safe thing to do? Most importantly, have you ever done something extravagant for the Lord? Have you ever broken your vase, focusing only on the Lord? Have you ever thrown caution to the wind and let love for the Savior guide your heart?

Jesus saw her actions as an expression of love.

Leave her alone, said Jesus. Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me.   The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me.  She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial.  I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her. (Mark 14:6‑9).

Those are remarkable words. They show how much Jesus valued what this woman did. He accepted what she did.

Often we look for the commendation of people. But have you ever heard Jesus say, You have done a beautiful thing for me?

AFFECT OTHERS WITH EXTRAVAGANT LOVE

And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. (John 12:3).

The jar was broken, the perfume poured out and the fragrance filled the room. It would never be enjoyed again. The perfume could never be retrieved. It pleased Jesus.

Each believer is an alabaster jar. An alabaster jar was a milky, white color with a smooth exterior surface. Perhaps it was a plain color or possibly it was decorated with art, but the jar was not nearly so precious as the perfume inside. It was the perfume that gave the jar its value.

I think of each believer as one of these alabaster jars. We file into church each Sunday morning as jars. We come in different sizes and shapes. Some jars are quite beautiful. Some jars have been prettied up with paint on the outside.