August 27, 2015
“Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. “ John 12:3 NASB
Jesus intentionally made His way to the home of His friends the day before He would enter Jerusalem for the final week of His earthly life, and certainly the Son of God knew what awaited Him in His final days.
Extravagant Devotion…
And Mary, who first sat at the feet of her Lord to glean the Truth which He spoke into her heart…now, in her humility and her complete and total abandonment, took a large amount of very expensive essential oil and anointed the feet of her Lord…she poured the fragrant oil onto the feet of the man who had walked, it is estimated from 15,000-21,000 miles in His life-time. The man who loved unconditionally, who was compassionate, who was the miracle worker, who saw, and yes, reached into the hearts of people…Jesus had reached into her heart, replacing the hardness and the hopelessness with a touch, a word…with His Presence. And Mary untied her hair and gently wiped the feet of her Master…and the aroma of the fragrant oil filled the home from her act of extravagance.
Jesus went to a sanctuary of rest and of peace…the home of His friends.
Holy Hospitality
Jesus went to a sanctuary of rest and of peace…the home of His friend, Lazarus, who sat at the table with Him and dined with Him…His friend, Martha, who served Him food and drink after he had changed her heart…His friend Mary, who knelt and took an expensive container of fragrant oils which she poured out upon His feet…
As I revisit these passages, I am intrigued by the beautiful picture and the model of what I call, Holy Hospitality. I have often imagined what it would have been like to entertain the Messiah, the Savior of the World, the One who came to Build People, to Build the Kingdom…the King of Kings, the One who rules in majesty…the One who walked thousands of miles for you, for me…The One who came into the home of His friends with a sweaty brow and dusty feet…the One who came in, certainly aware of what the world would demand of Him, knowing that He would freely give…and yet, this man came in to sit at the table and to partake of a meal, to converse with, to do life with His friends…the friends who offered Holy Hospitality. What would it be like to invite Him into my home?
Un-Holy Hospitality
If you are like me, it is fairly simple to rally the energy and the effort to invite guests into your home especially friends and others who you want to impress and who you desire to entertain, for whatever reason. In reality though, I think some of the most challenging guests may be our own family members…Hmmmm.
Years ago when we lived at the ranch, our children were old enough to work hard at their chores and had numerous responsibilities as members of our family. We all had work to do! I remember God impressing on me something about the way that I loved and cared for my family within the parameters of our home. My job description was similar to most stay-at-home moms of that day. I remember patting myself on the back as I reminded myself, “I do a lot for my husband…and for my children!”
But what God pressed into my heart was… “Each day, do one thing for each one of your family members that you would do for an invited guest.”
And, I bickered with God, “But, this IS their home. They know that they are welcome here! I already cook their meals…do laundry…drive car-pool, etc”…as I grumbled… “What in the world could I do for them, that I am not already doing, that I would do for a guest?” This was my Un-holy Hospitality! And the still small voice whispered to me, “Do one thing for each one of your family members that you would do for an invited guest.”
Holy Hospitality
Jesus went to a sanctuary of rest and of peace, the home of His friends, Lazarus, Martha and Mary. And I wonder, would Jesus have felt welcome in my home?
And Then…I Got It!
Oh yes…like the friends of Jesus, I could sit down and listen to my children and to my husband. I could stop my busy, busy self. I could invite them to the table and then sit down and honor them. I could serve them with a heart of gratitude, speaking blessing to them, over them and about them…and I, like Mary, could do whatever would bring them comfort and peace…Perhaps our son Adam faced a very difficult math test the next day…and Christie might have experienced a disappointment with a friend…Bill might have had a really hard day at work.
I began to play the secret game. I would look for ways to do something unexpected, simple, and pleasant for my two children and for my husband. Sometimes, it was simply words spoken…as I would to a guest, “I am so glad that you are here!” Sometimes it was a special treat…maybe a Dr. Pepper float for my son, without him asking. Sometimes, it was a small wrapped gift which just appeared on my daughter’s bed, similar to what we did for our house guests… “A Welcome Gift”.
A Welcome Gift
What would I give to Jesus for a welcome gift?
The greatest gift which I can give my Savior is my heart and my devotion…extravagant devotion…And, the greatest gift that I can give to my children, to my grands, and to my husband is a home where Jesus is welcome. A home where Jesus finds honor, comfort, peace, and the extravagant devotion of His friends and His family…A home where the family members honor one another…where they serve one another…where they sacrifice their devotion for one another…as unto Him.
Holy Hospitality
As school resumes and as your precious children and grands return to their fall schedules, and as the “family routine” is redefined once again, I invite you to enjoy the little game which I played. Ask yourself these questions as your family leaves for the day, and then returns home:
What would it be like to invite Jesus into my home? What would He desire to find in my home? In reality, what would He find? What would I give to Him for a welcome gift? Then…
Each day, do one thing for each one of your family members that you would do for a very special, invited guest. Ask yourself the question, “What welcome gift will I give them today?”
I discovered as I began to play the game that I was blessed by the opportunity to ask the people who I loved the most, “What do I get to do to help you today?” How can I love you best? How can I welcome you into the home where we live together?”
Honestly, I messed up frequently and I was not always great at my game…Sometimes, I had to start over the next day. But that is the way of Jesus…He gives us a new start…a second chance (and if you are like me, it took several attempts to get it right) and, I am still working at it!
In truth, when I played my game, I was asking Jesus what would please Him. I was inviting Jesus into our home and I wanted to model for my family what Jesus does so well as He unconditionally loves His children, His family, and His friends. As He radiates His Father’s love!
As Mary knelt and anointed the feet of her Lord and untied her hair, and leaned to wipe His feet, the fragrance of the oils filled, completed, abundantly provided and gave perfect supply of the fragrance in the home…And this fragrance was the aroma of a woman’s extravagant devotion and of the Savior’s extravagant love…the aroma of beautiful, peace-filled, Holy Hospitality directed towards, in honor of, and for the glory of Jesus.
And as we remember to invite Him into our homes, and to honor Him in our homes, may we serve and love each one of our family members the way Jesus taught us to love. And certainly when we do our best, the beautiful fragrance of extravagant devotion will fill our homes with His Presence and His Peace and His Promise…and will create Holy Hospitality as you love your precious ones well. Enjoy them!
Abundant joy,
