Catch On Fire Podcasts

Giving Our Best To Jesus - John 12:1-8

• Novella Springette • Season 1 • Episode 7

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A house filled with fragrance, a table set in gratitude, and a bold act that looked like waste to some and worship to Jesus. We sit with Mary in John 12 as she breaks open a pound of pure nard and pours it on the feet of Christ, and we ask the awkward, necessary question: what does “giving our best” look like when love costs money, reputation, and control?

We walk through John’s unique lens on the final week before the cross, where Lazarus reclines as a living sign of resurrection, Martha serves with intention, and the city swells with Passover pilgrims. Along the way, we hold up mirrors from history—Simon of Cyrene pressed into service on the road to Golgotha, Anne Hutchinson crossing an ocean for conscience, Millard and Linda Fuller building dignity one home at a time, Gamaliel’s wise restraint, and Rutherford’s letters forged in exile. Each story reveals the same pattern: costly devotion carries a fragrance that outlasts criticism and reshapes communities.

Judas’s objection forces a heart check on motives, stewardship, and timing. Jesus’ defense reframes the moment, reminding us that some opportunities come once and must be seized with courage. We talk spiritual integrity, false charity, and the difference between image and love. Then we invite you to respond—through surrender, practical service to the poor, and a personal step of faith that costs you something real. If you’ve been waiting for permission to pour out what you’ve been saving, consider this your nudge. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs courage, and leave a review with your answer to one question: what costly gift are you ready to lay at His feet?

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Catch On Fire Podcasts aims to lead us all into a closer walk with God as we strive to become more like Jesus.

SPEAKER_00:

Hi and welcome to Catch on Fire Podcast. I am Dr. Novella Springett. I have been a follower of Jesus Christ since I was a child. Over the years, I have spent time studying the Bible and the history of the Christian religion. Catch on Fire Podcasts will be conducting in-depth studies of scripture with the goal of encouraging us all to grow in Christian discipleship. This podcast is for all those who have an interest in knowing more about Jesus and what it means to live for Christ in today's pluralistic society. We pray that this podcast will positively impact all of our lives and enable us to become more like Jesus. Please like, follow, and subscribe to Catch and Fire Podcasts on the varying platforms that we are featured on. Heavenly Father and God, we want to thank you for this moment and time that we're able to stand here and speak about you, about your word and what it means to us. We pray, dear God, that your word will go forth with power, that it will be all of you and none of me. We access in your name. Amen. Today we are speaking on giving our best to Jesus. And it is based on the scripture, John 12, 1 to 8. And it reads thus Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume. She poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair, and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages. He did not say this because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief. As keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. Leave her alone, Jesus replied. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me. The Gospel of John was written by John the Beloved, who spent a lot of time resting on the bosom of Jesus. The authorship of the Gospel of John has always been ascribed or credited to the Apostle John. In the New Testament, John authored the Gospel of John, 1st, 2nd, and 3 John, and also the book of Revelation. The Greek that is used in writing these books is not that of an educated man. The language is simple, unpolished, and plain. This is in keeping with the fact that John's first profession was that of a fisherman. Despite the lack of complicity in the Greek, the Gospel of John is deeply profound and is considered to be one of the most difficult of the New Testament books in terms of interpretation. John, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, was able to show Jesus as the Messiah in a manner that was way beyond his education level, but was in keeping with his commitment in following Jesus. No other Gospel contains as much information about Jesus' person and presents him as being the Messiah in such an undeniable manner. The book of John is normally linked to the synoptic gospels, that is Matthew, Mark, and Lute, but it varies greatly from these. In the Gospel of John, there are no parables, no miracles, no demon possessions, no debates with the scribes and Pharisees. Instead, John includes many details that the other Gospels do not document. He records a number of Jesus' discourses that are not found in any other Gospel, such as the speech that Jesus gave at the Last Supper. In John we have the great I am statement, such as I am the light of the world. And it is also in John we find the most popular of scripture verses, John 3, 16, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes on him should not perish, but have life everlasting. John was one of the three disciples who had special access to Jesus. These were Peter, James, and John. These three were present at the rising of Jarius' daughter. They were the only ones who were on the Mount of Transfiguration with Jesus, and in the Garden of Gethsemane, just before Jesus was crucified, they were the three who were closest to him. When Jesus hung on the cross, Jesus commended his mother Mary to John. And tradition states that she lived with him for the next 15 years until she died. When Jesus called his disciples, John was the youngest of them all. It is believed that John was between 25 to 30 years old when Christ called him. Based on that estimation, it is believed that the apostle John died when he was about a hundred years old. Of Jesus' disciples, the Apostle John is the only one who lived to an old age and who died a peaceful death. When you look at the context of John 12, you find Jesus in Jerusalem for his last Passover of his time here on earth. The chief priests, the scribes, they're committed to killing him. The only thing that is keeping them back is the afraid of the crowd, because the crowd adored Jesus. And this story of Mary anointing Jesus is found in three of the Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and John. The only difference is that in Matthew and Mark they have Mary anointing Jesus' head. In John, Mary anoints Jesus' feet. Luke tells a different story of the sinner woman who anointed Jesus' feet and wiped them with her hair. When we look at how the scripture begins, it says six days before the Passover. John is stating the time of this event. This is the last week before the death and burial of Jesus. About 50% of John's Gospel deals with this last week of Jesus' life. Matthew's Gospel gives 33% to this week. Mark 40% and Luke 25%. The last seven days of Jesus' life is given the most attention in these Gospels. When we look at the feast that we're speaking about here, the Jews had three great feasts: Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles. And according to Old Testament law, all adult males were to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to observe these festivals. If they could, they would walk with the entire family. This is why we find that when Hannah was in the temple, it was because her husband had brought his whole entire family to Shiloh, to the temple, to uh to the tent to observe the feasts. And the Passover is traditionally commemorating when the Jews were delivered from Egypt. In the month that Pharaoh set the Israelites free, God told Moses, tell all the Israelites, pick a year-old male. It could be a lamb without spot or blemish. It could be either from a sheep or a goat. And this was in the tenth day of the first month of the Jewish year. And the Israelites were to take care of this lamb until the fourteenth day of that same month. They were then to kill the lamb at twilight and smear the blood on the sides and tops of the door frames. And that same night that they were did so on the fourteenth day of the month, the death angel went throughout Egypt and killed the firstborn in every house that did not have the blood of a lamb on the sides and tops of the doorframe. It was only when Pharaoh lost his firstborn son that he let the Israelites leave Egypt. Passover literally means that a death angel would pass over the house. Jews still go to Jerusalem for the Passover. Wherever an Orthodox Jew might live, it is still his ambition to observe one such Passover in Jerusalem. To this day, when Jews in foreign land observe the Passover, they say, this year here, next year in Jerusalem. During Jesus' time, there was a great number of people who would traditionally travel to Jerusalem for the Passover feast. The Jewish historian Josephus says that at one such Passover they did a census of the lambs slain, and there were 256,000 lambs that were slain during the Passover feasts. It was a ratio that there would be one lamb for every ten people. So that indicates that there were approximately 2.5 million people in Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover. The New Testament records that Simon of Cyrene traveled to Jerusalem to observe Passover. Simon traveled from Cyrene, which was located in what is now known as Libya. You can find that Cyrene sits at a distance of some 850 miles from Jerusalem. This was no close distance that he had traveled. The sirene is still there, it's in ruins, but it next to the modern city of Shahat in Libya. 850 miles was quite a distance in those days. And it is believed that he made most of this journey by sea. Simon had come to observe what is now the most famous Passover of all time. It was at that Passover that Jesus was condemned to die by crucifixion. All persons who were condemned to die, to be crucified on the Roman law, first had to be whipped. Once the sentence was issued, the soldiers would take them out and they would whip them. There was no limit to how much you would be whipped. The only stipulation was that they were not to allow the criminal or the convicted person to die during the whipping. Criminals sometimes died, as this whipping was very severe. Jesus received the standard whipping, and then he as he was condemned to be crucified, and then he was the cross was laid on his shoulders. The weight of this cross was typically 300 pounds. And the condemned person carried the crossbar on his shoulders. And this crossbar could weigh anywhere from 75 to 125 pounds. The criminal would then be marched to the place of crucifixion, Galgata, by the longest possible route, so that as many people could see and scorn this person. This would serve as a warning, an example to anyone else who would dare to think that should they could defy Roman rule. And this was what was happening to Jesus. The apostle John states that Jesus started out carrying his own cross. However, Jesus had been on trial. From 9 o'clock the night before, just about, he had walked back and forth between Herod and Pilate's judgment hall. He had been beaten, spat on, mocked, ridiculed. And it was now about 9 a.m. the Friday morning and he was exhausted. Jesus collapsed under the weight of the cross. He could no longer carry it and still keep moving. Palestine at that point in time was occupied territory. The Romans had rule. And under Roman rule, any citizen could be ordered to take on any task that the soldier felt fit. So Simon of Cyrene, who had traveled 850 miles, probably saved his money and long come to Jerusalem for what was the passion of every good Jew that one day they would observe Passover in Jerusalem, was standing by the side of the road when a Roman soldier touched him and tell him, take up that cross and follow this man with that cross. I don't know how he felt. He had come to celebrate the God he loved and served, and here he was now in procession with condemned criminals on his way to Golgotha. Tradition states that he became a Christian and his sons Alexander and Rufus became respected leaders in the Christian church. God had knew his heart and called him forth to be honored as someone who carried the cross on behalf of Jesus. Today we still speak of him, Simon, the man from Cyrene. Anne Hutchinson also made a journey because of her faith. She journeyed to America. She was born Anne Murray in Lincolnshire, England, in 1591. Her father was an Anglican pastor who was very outspoken, and he deplored the lack of education that the clergy had. And because of his outspokenness, he was given house imprisonment. Her father, Francis, proceeded to teach all his children. At that time, education was normally reserved for boys only, but he also taught his daughters. The year after her father died, Anne married William Hutchison and became Anne Hutchison. It was that same time that she came into contact with John Cotton. John Cotton was a dynamic preacher. And there were a lot of complaints made against him. And because of the persecution that was ongoing, he fled England and came to America to escape the persecution. Anna didn't want to lose him. So she decided she was going to follow Cotton to Boston. And she did so not long afterwards. She did this despite the fact that she had 11 children ranging from eight months to 19 years old, and her husband. Additionally, the journey to Boston was an arduous two-month journey of 3,000 miles across rough seas. But in 1634, Anne, her husband, her mother-in-law, and 10 of her children set sail in the Griffin for Boston. After arriving in Boston and setting up house, Anne started hosting women in her home for Bible study. Shortly afterwards, some of the men, some of the husbands of this woman would also join her for this Bible study that she was conducting. And Anne taught that salvation was God's free gift to mankind. You couldn't get saved through rituals or good works. Additionally, she taught that the Holy Spirit could speak directly to you and you could receive the word of God from the Holy Spirit. This specific teaching in particular was not in keeping with what the Puritans taught. They said it was a heresy because she was making the church and the pastors not needed if people could hear directly from God. So in 1637, Anne found herself on trial as a witch, a heretic, and an instrument of Satan. There were 40 male judges advocating her case. The judges had no case and no evidence until Anne herself spoke up and affirmed that she had heard the Holy Spirit Spirit speak to her through the verses in Isaiah and Daniel. And the judges were ecstatic as Anne had now claimed a direct revelation from God, which was considered to be heresy. Thirty of the judges concluded that John, Anne was deluded by the devil. Anne was pronounced to be a woman not fit for society and was banished from Massachusetts. In a follow-up trial, her mentor John Cotton also testified against her, and she found herself excommunicated from the Puritan church. Having been evicted from Massachusetts and moved to Rhode Island, where she continued to preach and host Bible studies. However, in 1641, and after her husband died, she was now a widow, she was 50 years old, and moved her family 130 miles away from Rhode Island down to the Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam. This is now known as the Northern Bronx in New York. Unfortunately, in September 1643, Indian Siwonoi warriors came to a home, killed 16 persons, including her, seven of her children, her son-in-law, and several servants. The only one who survived this massacre was Anne's nine-year-old daughter, who was adopted by the Indian chief and raised by him for the next eight years. At the time of Anne's death, the leaders of the Puritan church rejoiced. They said that God had punished her and it was God's judgment on her. However, today, in front of the Massachusetts State House in Boston, there's a bronze statue of Anne Hutchison with an arm circling a young girl. Her eyes are lifted to heaven, and the plaque beneath the statue reads, courageous exponent of civil liberty and religious toleration. It is not well known that in Europe, the Hutchinson River and Hutchinson River Parkway are all named after the same Anne Hutchinson. Anna came to America and her pilgrimage was not in vain. She lost her life for the right to have religious freedom. However, her unwavering faith in God, her steadfast conviction has lasted through the years, and we pay honor to her. Her name lives on in perpetuity as a result. May we too make the pilgrimage when called to do so, to honor our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The scripture goes on to say Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martiser, where Lazarus is among those reclining at the table with him. Bethany was a small village that was only a couple of miles from Jerusalem. It would have been crowded with visitors who were making their way to Jerusalem for Passover. It was here from Bethany that Jesus made his triumphant entry into Jerusalem on what we currently celebrate as Palm Sunday. And this is the only time in the New Testament that we have an account of what someone did after they were raised from the dead. The scene here is a very normal scene. Lazarus is living just like any other person who had never seen that. Matthew and Mark tell us that this was the house of Simon the leper. This indicates that Simon the leper must have been healed of his leprosy by Jesus as he is now mingling again with other Jews and was no longer an outcast. It is also believed that Simon the leper must have been a relative of Lazarus, as Lazarus was now living with him. The Greek word that is used here for dinner is normally used to refer to the evening meal. The Gospel of John only uses this word three times. The other two times, John uses it to refer to the dinner, the Last Supper. So this shows that this dinner was similarly a dinner of great importance. It was a dinner that was being given to honor Jesus. Simon the leper had literally been brought back from the dead. He had much to give thanks for to Jesus because he was here living a normal life. Lazarus was physically dead, buried in a tomb, and he had come forth when Jesus called him out. Simon and Lazarus did not take what happened to them lightly. They were honoring the one Jesus who had given them beauty for ashes. Jesus knew that he was on his way to die. He knew he was about to change the course of history. He did not say he had important matters on his mind and could not be bothered to hob not with ordinary people. He allowed his people to thank him and to show him their gratitude and appreciation. We find Martha here doing what she seems to be her favorite tasks. She was serving. Other people were also serving. Martha ensured that she was among them. In those days, when people sat down to dinner, they did not pull up a chair to a table. The table was low, not far above the ground. Cushions were thrown on the floor, and people recline on these cushions with their feet behind them and their head on their hands towards the table. So Jesus was his feet were behind him and easily accessible. And Lazarus was also reclining with Jesus. He wanted to be near his Lord. We find that God is still in the business of raising people from the dead, though, especially those who are dead in trespasses and sin. We find that we read in Jackie Pelinga in her book, Chasing the Dragon. She moved to Hong Kong in 1966 to do God's work. And she tells us a story of A Tong. He was a resident of the walled city, Kowloon in Hong Kong. This was known as the most depraved and the worst place that anyone could live in all of Hong Kong. And in this depraved place, A Tong stood out as one of the most evil and wicked gang members in this lawless wall city. He made his living from prostitution. He used his gang followers to collect the money from the different brotels. Even among the vice and crime that was rampant in the Wall City, A Tong stood out for sheer ruthlessness and was generally despised because his methodology was to go to parties, seduce young naive girls, and then sell them into prostitution. One day, Atong winded up in hospital. One of his gang followers used to come to Palinga's Christian youth group. And he was ambushed and almost killed, but Atong threw himself in the way and took the knives that were intended for this young guy and wind it up in the hospital. Jacqueline Palinga went, was they called her, and she went to the hospital to be with Atong. The nurses there informed her that A Tong would definitely lose his arm, and in their opinion, he would almost certainly lose his life as well. Jacqueline Atong was impressed with the fact that A Tong, Jacqueline Palinger rather, was impressed with the fact that A Tong was willing to lose his life to save that of one of his gang followers. Jesus said that greater love has no man than this than to live on a life for a friend. So she called up her fellow Christian friends and they spent a night at the hospital praying for Atong. They laid hands on him and claimed healing in the name of Jesus. Atong didn't recover then, but he proceeded to make a miraculous recovery. Within five days of the attack, he was released. Not only did he not lose his life, his arm also healed perfectly. Surprisingly to Jackie, after his supernatural recovery, Atong avoided Jacqueline, who had prayed for him, and to whom he attributed his miraculous recovery. But Atong was a heroin addict and he could not see how he could live without the drug. During his time in the hospital, his girlfriend had been bringing him heroin so he wouldn't go into withdrawal. It was several years later, and Atong actually came to Palinga's home. He was desperate. He asked for help, as no matter what he did, he could not kick the drugs. Palinga told Atong that she couldn't help him, but she knew someone who could, and his name is Jesus. Atong was amazed that Jesus would even love someone like him. The message of God's love penetrated and he was moved. So Jacqueline took Atong to the place where they kept church. At that location, Atong met a lot of young men who he knew personally. There were men he had known in jail, there were men he had fought with against, there were others who he had taken drugs with. And these men were now all shining, happy, fat, and in good health. And a witness to Aton, there was faith in Jesus, which was responsible for the transformation. A tongue believed that if Jesus could do this for these men who he knew personally, Jesus could certainly do the same for him. And he stated that he believed and prayed for Jesus to come in his life. Polinga records that as he prayed, he smiled, he grew at peace, he went to sleep soundly and was immediately delivered from his addiction. He had no vomiting, no shivers, no cramps. And he began a new life, living for Jesus. He had been brought back from being dead in trespasses and sin. Jesus is still in bringing the dead back to life, just as he brought Lazarus and Simon the leper back to life in his day. The scripture goes on to say that Mary took about a pint of pure nad, an expensive perfume. She poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with a hair. And her home was filled, and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. Nard, smike nad is still a very and was a very costly perfume. It comes out of a small plant that is only found in the Himalayas mountains of Asia. These Himalayas mountains run through China, Nepal, and India. And this plant is difficult to reach as it only grows high up in these mountains. This range of mountains is the highest in the world. More than 110 of these mountains are over four and a half miles high. Among these is the world's tallest mountain, Mount Everest, which is about five and a half miles high. And what made Spike Nard initial additionally very pricey at that point in time was that it took almost a year to get to Jerusalem from the Himalayas in India. The distance from India to Jerusalem was about over 4,000 miles. And in those days before planes, it took time. to make that distance. Mary took this perfume and she didn't just drop two drops of it on Jesus' feet. The scripture says that she used a pint. That is 16 ounces or one pound of the spike nod. Additionally, the Bible says there was pure spike nod. Nothing had been added to dilute or water down the spike nod. If you look at Amazon right now, 0.17 fluid ounces of the spike nod is selling for$48. That means one ounce is just over$282. 16 ounces make up the pound that Mary anointed Jesus' feet. Today you'd have to pay$4,517 to Amazon to get those 16 ounces. From this passage we know that Mary Martha and Lazarus are probably very wealthy people. They were hosting a dinner and they had in their possession this extremely expensive perfume. And Mary did not consider this perfume to be too much for Jesus. She was giving him the very best that she had. She didn't hold back she poured it out on Jesus' feet. In those days because there were dirt roads when a guest entered the house a slave would wash the guests' feet. This washing of feet was normally given to the lowest servant because the feet would truly be dirty. It was unusual to do this washing of feet during the meal. And the humility of the act must be noted Mary was performing the task that only the lowest servant would be given to do. And she did it in the presence of everyone who was there. She didn't care what they thought about her she didn't care what others might say. She just wanted to personally perform for Jesus this act of love. Then Mary took out her hair and she wiped his feet with her hair. This was striking because Jewish women in those days never showed their hair in public. Only women of low morals night walkers would show their hair a woman's hair was always supposed to be covered but Mary didn't care. They could think whatever they want about her she was intentionally giving her very best to Jesus. She was grateful for what the Lord had done for her. John the beloved remembers the smell of that perfume he says that the smell of the perfume took over the whole house. It was stronger than the smell of the food. Not long ago when Jesus rolled back the tomb the stone from Lazarus tomb Mary was concerned that Lazarus stink would take over the area. Today she's dispensing a wondrous scent to celebrate and honor the one who gave her brother back his life and who also gave her life this smell permeated the entire house we look at Mullard Millard and Linda Fuller Millard and Linda Fuller are examples of what it means to give God our very best. As a millionaire entrepreneur by the time Millard was 29 he was rich and extremely well offmitted his life to Christ and he proceeded to donate all his possessions his multiple homes and millions of dollars to help others. Fuller is widely regarded as the leader of the modern day movement for affordable housing. They started Habitat for humanity in 1976. Habitat for Humanity helps others by building houses for those in need and it was in San Antonio Texas in 1976 that they first saw the vision. It was there that concerned residents work with the fullest develop a program which used volunteer labor to construct affordable safe houses for needy families in the slums of San Antonio. By 1981 just five years after it started Habitat for humanity had affiliates in 14 states and they were present in seven foreign countries. From 1976 to 2005 the Fulas devoted their energies to the expansion of Habitat for humanity throughout the world perhaps the most famous supporter was former president Jimmy Carter. They developed the Jimmy Jimmy and his wife developed the Jimmy Carter work project and for a week they would build houses all over the world and the Carters would personally participate in those events. While Millard was alive he put a lot of effort into this endeavor. He would travel he would to raise awareness funds and volunteers he died in 2009 at the age of 74 but his commitment to helping others to giving of his best is still impacting others to today we remember and we honor him when we give of our best the memory lives on but one of his disciples Judas Iscariot who was later to betray him objected why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor it was worth a year's wages he did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief. As keeper of the money bag he used to help himself to others put into it the self-righteous one Judas speaks up Judas who was about to betray Jesus was annoyed that he could not get his hand on the value of the spike nod. The spike nod was worth 300 denari. In those days a denarius was one day's pay for a laborer so 300 denari the laborer would have had to work every day of the year and never spent a cent to be able to afford the perfume that Mary anointed Jesus's feet. Judas even had a good story this money could have been given to the poor the other gospels Matthew and Mark said that Judas's fabrication was so convincing that even other people in the room started to side with him. We have to be careful who we listen to here we have people supporting Judas's lies and looking down on Mary's genuine worship. And this is the only time in the gospel that anything negative is said of Judas prior to the betrayal of Jesus John throws Judas onto the bus. He says that Judas kept the money bag and he systematically and consistently stole money from the bag and he was annoyed that this was so much money that he couldn't get his hands on. He had no interest or any intention of helping any poor person. He simply wanted to pocket the funds for himself. Judas was comfortable in the presence of Jesus the Son of God with stealing regularly in the book of Acts we are told the story of Ananias and Sapphira they were a married couple and at that time people donated greatly to the ministry to the movement of Christianity and they came up with a grand plan that they would sell their house they would sell property and they would keep back some of it and then give the rest to the disciples and pretend that they were given all they wanted to look good but not actually do good. So Ananias went first and Peter asked him Are you sure this is all the money you got and he's like yes this is all and Peter said you can't lie to the Holy Spirit and Ananias felt dead at Peter's feet. Then Sapphira came in afterwards apparently she didn't know what had happened there was no Facebook in those days and he asked her the same question is this all the money and she's like yeah yeah this is it this is it and she too fell dead and was taken out it is not honorable to lie or to pretend you're doing charity is a it's dangerous to mess with the spirit of the living God. William Grisham was a preacher in the 18th century in England and he was very committed to his people truly living for God. He insisted that the Christian character christly character was preeminent for all who fell under his ministry and two stories are told about him when he suspected hypocrisy he would take steps to root it out. One of his members was very righteous and said how he was always so kind and helpful and Grimshaw didn't believe him. So he disguised himself as a poor man showed up at this man's house and asked him for a place to stay for the night and for some help and this very righteous member of Grimson's congregation proceeded to berate him and told him to get out of there. There was also another woman who always said how kind she was and how she loved everyone and she was almost blind went to see her and kept touching her gently with his walking stick and as he kept doing it she got really annoyed as she thought it was children who were bothering her and she started to threaten and swear at him and by so doing he was able to expose these hypocrites for who they were because he wanted them to truly not only talk the talk but walk the walk. As Christians God is calling us to do justly love mercy and walk humbly that we must be holy because the God we serve is holy leave her alone Jesus said it was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial you will always have the poor among you but you will not always have me Jesus who loves and never looks down on offering came to Mary's defense. He didn't just let others pick on her and put her down while he was taught of how great he is and what a wonderful work he's doing. Caring about others is the hallmark of the God we serve. Jesus stated that this spike knot and this anointing was part of his destiny. Whenever Mary purchased it she didn't know but she was buying it so that she could anoint him on this day. In those days when a body was being prepared for burial the entire body would be anointed and the person who was anointed would start at the feet. John notes that Mary anointed Jesus's feet and in those days the most expensive funeral was saved for funerals just like how we give the dead body a ride in a limousine today the most expensive vehicle Jesus pointed out that he would preparing to die so what Mary did was appropriate. Mary would never get another opportunity to show Jesus how much she cared for him. There'll be many more opportunities for Mary to help those in need but the chance to love on Jesus in the physical would never come again for Mary. In Acts 5 we are told how Gamaliel defended the apostles when they were tried before the Sanhedrin which was the highest court in the land for the Jews at that point in time. The Sanhedrin wanted to put Peter and the apostles to death because they refused to stop talking about Jesus being the Messiah and having risen from the dead Gamaliel reminded the Sanhedrin that others had come before and their movement was not of God so they had disappeared. There was Tudas who had 400 men rallying behind him. As soon as he was killed his followers dispersed and his movement died out. Judas the Galilean also had a band of people same result after he was dead his followers disappeared but he said if this is of God we have to be careful. If it's not of God it's going to die out on its own but it is of God we don't want to be in the position of fighting against God always comes true for his people. Samuel Rutherford was born in Scotland in the 1600s and he studied at the University of Edinburgh and in 1627 he was licensed to preach. That same year he was assigned to Anwat in Scotland and he ministered there for nine years before he got in trouble. During that time his congregation said he was always praying always preaching always visiting the sick always studying but in 1636 he published an apology argument for divine grace and this book got people angry especially Archbishop Lord as on July 27 1636 Rutherford was tried found guilty and he was banished told to never preach in Scotland again. Because he was exiled from ministry and not allowed to preach Rutherford started writing in 1664 they published 284 of these letters and these letters are said to be as impactful as Bunyan's pilgrim progress. In fact he can go to Amazon right now and buy them uh buy the book The Letters of Rutherford had Rutherford not been exile these letters would not be touching lives to today but we can look and see that in November of 1638 our great defender Jesus came to his rescue and he was officially vindicated and allowed to return to preaching and ministering in Scotland. God will fight our battles God comes to our defense always all things work together for good we don't need to be discouraged or dismayed for the battle is not ours but the Lord. Like Mary let us give the best of our time and our lives to the master however in order to give our best to Jesus you must ensure that we are following Jesus in discipleship. Today if you do not know Jesus as personal Lord and Savior he's knocking at the door of your heart will you please let Jesus in there's eternal life after this life here on earth and we have to make a choice where we'll spend eternity hell or heaven hell is real. Jesus spoke more about hell than he did about heaven there's only one way to heaven and that is by confessing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and believing in our hearts. If anyone listening wishes to come to know the joy, peace and love that can be found in Jesus please feel free to repeat after me Jesus please come into my heart and be Lord of my life wash me and make me clean. Teach me to live for you Jesus amen. If you have prayed this prayer congratulations you're now officially one of Jesus's believers. Please find a Christian church to go to fellowship with other believers so that you can learn to be a disciple of Jesus. Please join me as in the declaration as I speak and we confess over life these truths that will enable us to continue living in victory in Jesus. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus that we are still holding on to God's unchanging hand. We are still in God's holy plan. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus that we are the head and not the tail we declare and decree in the name of Jesus that from the crown of our head to the soles of our feet we have received healing as by his trip we are healed. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus that God is ordered our steps that no weapon formed against us shall prosper and every tongue that rises up against us in judgment will be condemned. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus that we be made more than conquerors through the blood of Jesus. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus that the angels are watching over us our family, our children, our grandchildren. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus that we are financially in line with God's word and as such we are lenders and not borrowers. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus that all of our debts have been paid and are forgiven. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus that the enemy of our souls has no authority over our finances and our funds and that we are good stewards of the money that God has placed in our keeping we declare and decree in the name of Jesus that doors are being opened and that blessings and answers to prayer being manifested in the spiritual and the physical in our lives. I shall not want he maketh me to lie down in green pastures he leadeth me beside the still waters he restored my soul he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Either I walk to the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies thou anointest my head with oil my cup runeth over surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. The Lord bless you and keep you the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord turn his face towards you and give you peace. Amen