The Book of John: Message Sixty
Three
By Dr. Michael
Guido, D.D.
While
traveling in Korea a visitor saw a sight that shocked
him. Turning to a missionary he asked, "Why is
that young man pulling a plow in the place of an
animal?" "When the church was being
built," he answered, "he and his father
wanted to give something. But they had no money. So
they sold their ox and gave the money for the work of
the Lord. That's why he's pulling the plow."
"What a sacrifice!" exclaimed the visitor.
"They didn't call it a sacrifice," he
answered. "They were glad they had an ox to
sell." Turn with me to the 12th chapter of the
Gospel of John and see another one who was glad she
had something to give to the Lord.
Look at her
consecration. Six days before His death, the Lord
Jesus came to Bethany. Here Lazarus lived, whom He
had raised from the dead. There a supper was given in
His honor, at which Martha served, while Lazarus took
his place at the table with the Lord Jesus. But Mary
fell at His feet, and taking very costly perfume, she
anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped them with her
hair. The entire house was filled with the fragrance
of the oil. Mary was generous with God. For in giving
that perfume, she didn't give that which was ordinary
but that which was extraordinary. She didn't give
Christ the cheapest, but the costliest. She didn't
give Him her bit, but her best! Have you? In India,
one morning, a missionary saw a woman walk toward the
Ganges River. At her side was a beautiful and healthy
boy. In her arms was a sick child. That evening that
mother returned, but without her handsome, healthy
son. In a flash the missionary realized what the
woman had done. She cast her strong son to the
crocodiles to appease her god. "Why," asked
the missionary, "did you give your god your
beautiful boy? Why didn't you give him your son
that's dying?" "Because," she
answered, "we give our best to our gods."
Do you give your best to God?
Listen to the
criticism. A minister was riding with a man who had
no time for Christ or the church. As they passed a
church that was being enlarged, he said to the man of
God, "I thought you Christians stopped building
such fine buildings and gave your money to the poor.
I think it would be much more to your credit if you
did something for the poor people rather than waste
all this money." "What you said sounds very
familiar," answered the minister. "I know
another man who expressed the same idea."
"And who was that?" he questioned. The
minister replied quietly, "His name was
Judas." When Mary bathed the feet of Jesus with
the perfume, Judas demanded, "Why wasn't this
oil sold for $50 and the money given to the
poor?" But the Bible says, "He said this,
not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a
thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put
therein." The word "bare" means
"to lift" a thing, as "a
shoplifter." It means "to steal." Thus
Judas not only carried the bag, but he took what was
put into it. Think of it - Judas was a disciple, but
he was a thief. Can it be that you, like Judas, are a
worker for Christ, but you've never been won to
Christ?
Look at the
contempt. The unbelievers will always make fun of you
when you let go and let God have His way. I think of
Robert Moffat, a gardener, who gave everything he had
to the Lord to sow the seed of the gospel in foreign
fields. One said to him as he went out as a
missionary, "Robert, your brains are
turned!" "So they are," he answered.
"But they're turned in the right way." Are
yours?
Listen to the
commendation. When Judas criticized Mary for being
liberal with the Lord, He exclaimed, "Let her
alone." Then He added, "Against the day of
My burying hath she kept this." Six days later
He was crucified. Four women set out with spices, but
it was too late. The Lord Jesus was gone. They went
to the sepulcher, but Mary went to the supper. Their
opportunity for anointing Jesus had passed. Oh, give
your love to the Lord now.
copyright 2000 Guido Evangelistic
Association
All Scripture verses are
quoted from the New King James Version.
Click here to go to the next message in this Sower
Scripture Study on the book of John.
This series of messages on the
books of the Bible were originally written for
broadcast on Dr. Guido's radio program, "The
Sower." They are collected and reprinted here
for your enjoyment and spiritual edification.
