Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”3 So he told them this parable: 4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.8 “Or what woman, having ten silver coins,[a] if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ 10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”Luke 15:1-10 (ESV)JOANNA GWEN PICUTRES***“I have been in this world for sixty years, and I have never yet been conscious of anything spiritual.”We did not say what we thought, but we thought it was very likely that what he said was perfectly true; and there are a great many more people in the world who might say the same as he did. But that only proved that he was not conscious of anything spiritual; not that others were not conscious of it.Charles SpurgeonJust because someone cannot see God, doesn’t mean He’s not there.Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.Matthew 5:8 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.Hebrews 11:1The pure in heart are confident in God.Matthew 266 Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper,[a] 7 a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table. 8 And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? 9 For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor.” 10 But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. 11 For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. 12 In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. 13 Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”Matthew 26:6-13Mary’s name now smells as sweet in all God’s house as ever her ointment did; when Judas’ name rots, and shall do to all posterity [future generations].John TrappThe anointing with oil is a physical picture for a spiritual reality.She probably did not know all that her action meant when she anointed her Lord for his burial. The consequences of the simplest action done for Christ may be much greater than we think.Charles Spurgeon7 a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table.Matthew 26:73And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabasterflask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke theflask and poured it over his head.Mark 14:3Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feetwith her hair. John 12:1PreciousPrecious (yāqār): valuable—brightness, clear, costly, rare, and/or gloriousWhat qualities determine if something is precious (valuable) to humans?UtilityScarcityQualityConditionBrand reputationHistorical significanceCollectable appeal8 And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? 9 For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor.” Matthew 26:8-9“Why was this not sold for the poor?”You are a little uncomfortable around “radical” disciples. (Jesus Freaks)You get tired, bored, or don’t really see the point in worship. (Especially long, drawn-out, or extended worship)You are hesitant to wast time, energy, or money on God. (Let’s do the bare minimum for God)Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”3 So he told them this parable: 4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 7 Just so, I ...
