马太福音26:6-9：不会浪费
6耶稣在伯大尼长大麻风的西门家里，7有一个女人拿着一玉瓶极贵的香膏来，趁耶稣坐席的时候，浇在他的头上。8门徒看见就很不喜悦，说：“何用这样的枉费呢！9这香膏可以卖许多钱周济穷人。
我在一个德国家庭里长大，这里没有任何东西会被浪费。牛仔裤一再被打上补丁；袜子被反复织补；残羹剩饭被保存，至少会留给谷仓外面的猫。当门徒看到这个女人把一罐价值50,000美金的香膏倒在耶稣头上的时候，他们想到的是浪费。约翰告诉我们犹大感到非常难过，因为他负责管理门徒们的钱囊。在他心目中，凡是未经过他手的钱财就算被浪费了。
钱财怎样花算是浪费，怎样花算是用得其所？故事中的这个女人，约翰称其为伯大尼的玛利亚，她仅仅为耶稣着想，用她最好的东西来荣耀他。她为耶稣倾倒的不仅是香膏，更是对耶稣的爱。对她而言，香膏用在自己身上是浪费、放纵和挥霍；而用在耶稣身上才是物尽其用。
这个故事的要点在于耶稣配得香膏。他配得我们所拥有的一切。除了耶稣，没有人能为我们带来喜乐、盼望和生命的意义。他是我们的全部。我们花费在自己身上的往往是浪费，不必要的奢侈；但我们花在耶稣身上的，无论是时间还是钱财，都不会被浪费。
祷告：主耶稣，无论活着还是死亡，你都是我的珍宝和盼望。没有你，我将一无所有，我的生命也将毫无意义。有了你，我的生命充满盼望、意义和目的。请让我记住，一个为你而活的生命永远活得其所。阿们！
Matthew 26:6-9: 6 While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, 7 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. 8 When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. 9 “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.”
I grew up in a German family where nothing was wasted. Jeans were patched again and again. Socks were darned. Leftovers were saved or at least given to the cats outside in the barn. When the disciples saw this woman pour a $50,000 jar of perfume on the head of Jesus, all they could see was the waste. John tells us that Judas was especially upset because he handled the purse for the disciples. In his mind, anything that didn’t go through his hands was wasted.
What is money wasted and what is money well spent? The woman in the story, whom John identifies as Mary from Bethany, thought only of Jesus and to honor him with the best thing that she had. She was not just pouring out her perfume for Jesus. She was pouring out her love for Jesus. To her the perfume would have been wasted on herself, a self indulgent splurge. It was not wasted on Jesus.
The point of the story is that Jesus is worth it. He is worth everything we have and are. No one but Jesus can give us joy and hope and purpose. He is our all in all. What we spend on ourselves is often wasted, an unnecessary extravagance. What we spend on Jesus, whether time or money, is never wasted.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you are my Treasure, my hope in life and in death. Without you I am destitute and my life is wasted. With you, I am filled with hope and my life has meaning and purpose. Remind me that a life lived for you is a life well spent. Amen.