Key Verse: "A woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head." (Mark 14:3)

The event recorded in Mark 14:3-9 is a very touching story. Simon, out of his gratitude to Lord for the blessings bestowed, prepared a banquet in his home, and Jesus, his disciples, Maria, Martha and Lazarus were all invited. Unexpectedly, Maria approached the Lord with an alabaster flask filled with very costly ointment in her hand. And to every one's surprise, she broke the flask and poured the ointment over the Lord's head (Mark 14:3) and feet (John 12:3). Both the flask and the ointment were very expensive. What does this action of Maria signify? It signifies that she was offering up her best and all to Lord Jesus. When she broke the flask of ointment, she was actually saying by action:
"Enjoy my love, my Lord. I pour out my dearest treasure on your feet. Enjoy me, and I will always be yours, and yours alone."

In those days, every young girl would prepare a flask of costly perfume, and kept it until the day when a man she loved proposed. If she was willing to love and dedicate herself to him, she would break that flask of perfume and poured it on his feet. No matter how worthy was the flask, it would be her most treasured, and this would be her offering to him. This was what Maria did to her Lord, the special One who loved her deeply and would be dying for her on the cross shortly afterwards. Maria wanted to be betrothed to him in the spiritual sense (Is. 62:5, Hos. 2:19). Thus she offered up her best and her all to the Lord.

A. What can we offer up to the Lord?
We do not have an alabaster flask of costly ointment, but there are at least three things we can offering up to our Lord.

1. We can offer him our best love

This is the most important, and is exactly what Maria did. Her true present was in fact her love. We can all offer our love to him, and this is what our Lord mostly desires.

2. We can offer him our best moments of life

What a great honour it is to be able to dedicate our life to the Lord! Our Lord saves us all with his own life. Is he not worthy to have us living for him? Young people, offer up our youthful energetic days to work for the Lord. Adults, offer up our knowledge and experience to fight for the Lord. Seniors, offer up our wisdom to mentor the younger generations, stirring them up to serve the Lord.

3. We can offer him our best talents

Each one of us has some talents as well as spiritual gifts. What are your talents? What are your spiritual gifts? Whatever they are, the Lord wants to use them. Put them before the feet of the Lord and offer them up unreservedly. God will use them miraculously.

B. Why should we offer up the best to the Lord?
Here are three reasons:

1. He deserves our best

Who is He? He is the Son of the living God, the glorious Lord, our Saviour. Does He not deserve to have our best? Does He not deserve to have our all?

2. He has given his best to us

He has given his all for us, and shed his blood to redeem us. When Maria knew that her Lord is going to sacrifice his all for her, she was so moved to offer up to him her best and her all.

3. Fellowship with the Lord in love

When we offer up our best to the Lord out of love, the Lord will manifest himself to us (John 14:21). This is to have intimate fellowship of life with us, and allow us to encounter him deeply in love and enjoy his sweet affection. This moment of offering was the happiest moment in Maria's life, and from then on she had tasted great joy (John 16:33), because she had given her best and her all to the Lord. If we offer up our best and our all, he will become our greatest treasure which is beyond description. (1 Peter 2:7)

C. The Consequences of offering up our best
If we offer up our best and our all to the Lord, three things would immediately follow:

1. Somebody would object

When Maria offered her best to the Lord, some disciples immediately complained, criticized and misunderstood. This is often the judgement of the world to those who offer themselves up to the Lord. Your family members may blame you. Friends may laugh at you. Those around you may consider you infatuated by your faith. But was the Lord not being despised by the world for your sake? Was he not crucified for you? Disciples of the Lord have to walk in the footstep of their Lord. The world does not understand, but we do, that those who suffer for the Lord are blessed.

2. The Lord will be pleased

What in the world can be compared with the praise of the Lord? What our Lord desires is not any gifts or services from us. He yearns to have our hearts and our love. If we offer up our best to him, so as to express our love to him, this is the offering our Lord wants to have most.

3. Others will be blessed

Lord Jesus said, the offering of Maria would be told all over the world, and many would be inspired by her example. One person's offering can bear much fruit! Who can estimate the impact of one who dedicate his life to the Lord? Offer up your life to the Lord, and many will be stirred up. Your example can be a wonderful spiritual blessing for many others.

Offering the Best to the Lord