For your heart will always pursue what you value as your treasure. Matthew 6:20 (TPT)
Perfume and Forgiveness – Treasures Series – Part 6
Go to PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3 | PART 4 | PART 5 | PART 6 | PART 7
There’s a beautiful story that Luke recorded (chapter 7) about a woman who, for whatever reasons she may have had, lived a hard and ravaged life. She was an outcast; unloved, unwanted, undignified. There was no future for her, no way known that she could be fully redeemed of her sins and of her work. On her way through town – maybe through the marketplace, or perhaps after she had been, yet again, bought for a price and used up in some dark corner – she had heard that Jesus was in town, having dinner at a nearby house.
And something sparked within her. Hope? Perhaps she’d heard stories of his strange miracles and even stranger sermons and insights. Or did his presence and spirit reach her on a deeper level? That inward whisper, “now is your chance,” the electricity that leaks out of the miraculous and flows down the street sparking the hearts of hungry seekers. Maybe she ran looking, desperately searching him out. Or perhaps she went home, washed her face, combed her hair, got dressed, took from her treasury her most prized possession and walked through the evening, planning to bring it before the only one able to cast a glimmer of hope her way.
She found the house where Jesus was eating. Had she been here before? On business? Did she recognize the men in the doorway or the ones draped on the lounges?
This unlikely woman, who had lived in shadows, walked into that house unannounced and in full view of all, and knelt at the feet of Jesus. In her hands, she held a costly and beautiful jar of perfume that was worth a wealthy man's year’s earnings. But instead of giving the perfume to Jesus, she broke the bottle, cracked it right open, and poured the liquid gold fragrance onto his feet. The sweet perfume mingled with her salty tears, and she washed and anointed him with the holy mixture. When she was done, she dried Jesus feet with her hair.
This kind of perfume had been used previously to cover the scent of her life. She, and women like her, would lavish themselves in heavy and expensive perfumes to hide the smell of their bodies and their trade. The fragrance would cover them up, hide away their shame. This perfume, this mask that she would wear, the great expense she paid to own it… she gave it all to Jesus. He wore her life that night. As she washed the perfume from his feet with her tears and hair, she was hoping that maybe, just maybe, Jesus could wash her clean too…
Her treasure used to be found in what she used to cover up her life. This expensive perfume worth a year in income was more valuable to her than just its price. But maybe after her encounter with Jesus, she began to see that her value was not defined by her expensive perfume, or even her actions and circumstances. But rather, it was determined by the eternal heart of the divine and infinite Christ, Jesus.
And so she poured it all out as a gift, an offering of her heart and soul, an exchange of earthly treasures for something heavenly.
To see Christ is not to see your own lack and sins and shame and guilt. When you see Christ for who he really is, you’ll view yourself for who you really are. Valued not by success and wealth, worthy not because of grand deeds and vast reputation, not rejected because of your past and failures… but valued purely for the treasure that your life, all of life, is.
When you understand the origin of value itself, it sets you free to value not only yourself but others. You embark on a grand adventure to pursue the discovery of this priceless treasure for a lifetime.
A meaningful life is not one that has a house full of things or a bank account full of money. It’s a life that knows forgiveness and compassion, stores up hope and is poured out in love for others; where things and money are tools to help, bless, regenerate, protect and nurture life’s real treasures… each-other.
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Go to Part 7 – Your Treasures »
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