"What Would You Do to Satisfy Your Savior?"

Scripture: a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. "Why this waste?" they asked. "This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor." Aware of this, Jesus said to them, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me." -Matthew 26:7-10, NIV

As I write today's message, I am reminded of a conversation I had with a man on Sunday, July 4, 2004. At this juncture in my life, I was engaged to my wife and we were at a friend's 4th of July cookout. While I was there, I talked with a man who had been married for a long time. As a young man getting ready to jump into marriage, I asked him for some wisdom for a successful marriage. The thing he told me that continuously rings in my ears on today was "Do anything you can to make the little woman happy". To my married brothers reading this, I hope you are getting this point or applying this point. Over time, I have managed to work at this piece of advice within my marriage. There are days where I find myself fatigued, not mentally there, and other things, but I do what I can to make Mrs. Lindsay happy. If we think about this thing in the Spirit, we ought to do what we can to satisfy our Savior! The question I pose to you on today is "What Would You Do to Satisfy Your Savior?" Let's examine the text and see an example of one who answered this question.

As we journey into Matthew's Gospel, we find that Jesus' time to die was near as He made it clear in the first two verses of Chapter 26. After this statement, the rulers and chief elders of the day was plotting to kill Jesus, but decided to hold back because of the Passover (celebrating God's covering of Israel in Egypt when blood was placed on the doors of the Israelites as a means of "passing them over" and not killing them) festival that was being celebrated. The text now brings us to Jesus being in Bethany at the home of Simon, who was a leper. One thing I love about Jesus and something we ought to adopt is the fact that He loved everyone, He cared for everyone, and He made Himself personable to regular people. Yes, some of us may be Deacon _______ or Deaconess _________. Yes, we might be Minister __________ or Elder _________ or Elderess __________, but at the end of the day, we are still human! We put on our pants the same way as everyone else! Because of that, we ought to make ourselves personable to real people! As He was there at Simon's house, today's main scripture begins to occur.

At the beginning of today's main scripture, we find a woman, coming to Jesus, with an alabaster jar containing a very expensive perfume. As Jesus was relaxing at the table, she poured this perfume over His head. As she did this, the disciples became mad or as the text says "indignant". They posed the question, "Why this waste?, we could've sold this perfume at a high price and gave the money to the poor." Jesus, always aware and understanding, told His disciples, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me". Ladies and gentlemen, there will come times in this walk where people will ask why are you preaching so hard? Why are you singing so hard? Why do you spend so much studying God's Word? Why do you spend so much time at the church? Why do you dance the way you dance? Why do you do the things you do and could be making a greater wage for your family? Well, you praise God the way you do because it makes Him happy! You pray to God the way you do because it makes Him happy! You sing to God the way you do because it makes Him happy! You dance the way you do because it makes Him happy! Despite those who hang around you and those who mean you no good, you have to examine the cost to satisfy your Savior! He satisfied you, and He satisfied me when He went to Calvary, blood, shed and died, but three days later, He got up with all power in His hands! He satisfied you and me by waking us up this morning! He satisfied you and me by closing us in our right mind! He satisfied you and me by defeating the enemy on our behalf! He satisfied you and me by providing for us when we couldn't provide! If your Savior is taking care of you like that, what are you willing to do to satisfy Him!

In closing, as I continuously reflect upon the wisdom I received from the gentleman almost six years ago, I have learned to do what I can to make my wife happy. With hind sight being 20/20, the times where I have been tired or sacrificed for the sake of my wife has been worth it because a big smile is on her face daily! Because of this woman sacrificing her perfume to anoint Jesus' head with it before His death, she satisfied Him, though she had haters around her! Are you willing to find your "perfume" to sacrifice to Jesus and satisfy Him?