将最好的献给主
约翰福音十二章1至11节
1逾越节前六日，耶稣来到伯大尼，就是他叫拉撒路从死里复活之处。
2有人在那里给耶稣预备筵席；马大伺候，拉撒路也在那同耶稣坐席的人中。
3马利亚就拿着一斤极贵的真哪哒香膏，抹耶稣的脚，又用自己头发去擦，屋里就满了膏的香气。
4有一个门徒，就是那将要卖耶稣的加略人犹大，
5说：这香膏为甚么不卖三十两银子赒济穷人呢？
6他说这话，并不是挂念穷人，乃因他是个贼，又带着钱囊，常取其中所存的。
7耶稣说：由他罢！他是为我安葬之日存留的。
8因为常有穷人和你们同在，只是你们不常有我。
9有许多犹太人知道耶稣在那里，就来了，不但是为耶稣的缘故，也是要看他从死里所复活的拉撒路。
10但祭司长商议连拉撒路也要杀了；
11因有好些犹太人为拉撒路的缘故，回去信了耶稣。
信息分享
然而，有一个女人却晓得耶稣快将受死。她就是伯大尼的马利亚。我们每次见到她，她都总是坐在救主的脚旁。我们第一次认识她，她正是坐在耶稣的脚边，聆听和学习祂的道理(路十39)。她第二次出现的时候，是跪在耶稣的脚前，承认祂是掌管生命的主(约十一32)。第三次就是这段经文了：这时耶稣受死的日期已近，她跪在耶稣的脚前，用香膏来抹祂的脚。
也许在祂的生平之中，这个动人的故事最能表达出人对祂的爱了。马利亚所用的香膏，可能要用上她一年的工资才能买到哩！然而，她却在这个向救主奉献和敬拜的荣耀时刻，用了整瓶香膏来抹主的脚。
当然有人会批评她的做法，同样，也总会有人无法明白别人怎么把贵重的东西献给基督。然而，正是这种不计代价、心甘乐意地把一切奉献给祂的爱，才能真正讨祂的喜悦。
基督指出，马利亚这样膏祂，是因为她知道祂快要死了。她也许对自己说：「万一有一个暴徒把祂杀死，我便没有机会去膏祂的身体了；我还是现在就去膏祂，免得将来后悔。」
许多时候，我们都会为到拖延了做该做的事而感到后悔。而许多时候，当我们没有立即去做该做的事，一旦搁置，将来就没有机会再做了。你有没有类似的经验呢？基督是否要你立即去帮助某人，但你却一直拖延呢？又或，基督要你奉献某些东西，但你却觉得代价太大呢？请再读这个故事一遍，然后立志将最好的献给主吧！
SACRIFICIAL GIVING
John 12: 1 – 11
1 Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead.
2 There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him.
3 Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.
4 But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said,
5 “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”
6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.
7 But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial.
8 For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.”
9 Now a great many of the Jews knew that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead.
10 But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also,
11 because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.
Message
But there was one woman who did understand. It was Mary of Bethany. Each time we meet her, she is at the Saviour’s feet. The first time she had sat at his feet, listening and learning (Luke 10:39). The second time, she knelt at his feet acknowledging him as the Lord of life and death (John 11:32). The third time is here in this passage when his death was near. She knelt at his feet and anointed them.
This beautiful story is perhaps the greatest expression of love for Christ that we know of in his earthly life. The ointment she used may have cost almost one year’s wages. Yet Mary poured out all of it in one glorious moment of sacrifice and worship at the feet of her Saviour and Lord.
There were those who criticised her of course. There are always people who can never understand anyone giving anything costly to Christ. But the kind of love which really pleases Christ is the kind that does not count the cost but gladly gives everything to him and for him.
Christ said that Mary did it because she realised his death was not far away. Perhaps she said to herself, ‘I may not have an opportunity to anoint his body if a mob kills him, so I will do it now before it is too late’.
We are often guilty of putting off things that we ought to do right now. It often happens that we put them off and then never can do them later. Is this true for you? Is there someone Christ wants you to help just now and you haven’t done it yet? Or is there something Christ wants you to give that seems too big a sacrifice? Read again this story of Mary’s gift and do it now, whatever the cost.