Our meal with Jesus this week is a testimonial dinner given in His honor in Bethany, near Jerusalem. It took place just prior to Jesus’ Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem, kicking off the final week of His ministry.

The dinner was in the home of a Simon the Leper, whom Jesus had healed. Also present were Jesus’ disciples and his friends Mary, Martha and Lazarus. In the middle of the meal Lazarus’ sister Mary comes in and reveals her love for Jesus in a very concrete way. Her actions teach us something about what it means to give Jesus our worship.

The Bible says Mary came in with an alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume which she used to anoint Jesus from head to feet. Matthew 26 says it was worth more than a year’s wages. I can’t imagine using a year’s wages to purchase perfume, but even more, I can’t imagine pouring it out all over anybody. Why did Mary do it? Because she wanted to give Jesus her very best. Our lesson is that Jesus is worth the very best we can give Him.

But not everybody will appreciate that. Jesus’ disciples didn’t. The Gospels tell us that they were “indignant.” They called Mary’s lavish gift a “waste.” Giving Jesus the very best you have is never a poor use of your resources. It is never a waste, but the lesson for us is that when you give your best to Jesus somebody is likely to criticize you for it. The funny thing is people who criticize you for giving your best to Jesus are usually people who don’t do it themselves. They are critical and pick at you for what you are doing, but they won’t give Jesus anything themselves. Don’t let criticism stop you from worshiping Jesus and expressing your love to him.

The final lesson this story teaches us is that Jesus is worthy of our attention right now. Jesus asked why they were bothering Mary. He then said that what she had done was to prepare him for burial. Why would anybody pour out a whole container of perfume on anybody? One reason was to prepare it to be buried. Apparently Mary had picked up on something that the disciples had overlooked. Jesus had been making references to His coming death for some time, but His disciples didn’t get it. The moment for worship was right now, not sometime in the future. Jesus let everybody know that what Mary had done was to give Him her best at the exact appropriate moment.

This reminds me of a favorite definition of worship from the pen of Lou Giglio. He wrote that worship is “our response both personal and corporate to God for who He is and for what He has done! Expressed in and by the things we say and the way we live.”

One day Jesus was walking near the Sea of Galilee and saw a tax collector named Matthew. Jesus told Matthew to come follow Him. Matthew made his choice to leave his former life behind and follow Jesus.

Lots of people were no doubt surprised that Jesus would even talk to Matthew, much less call him as a disciple. Tax collectors were hated by their fellow Jews. They saw them as traitors to their own people; willing to take from their own people to give to the occupying Romans.

That makes you wonder about what kind of people Jesus was seeking to be His disciples. Based on His encounter with Matthew it seems that Jesus wanted people who knew they needed Him, and people who were willing to follow Him. You might say that this is still the kind of person Jesus wants to be His follower. He wants us to realize that we can’t “make it” on our own; we need Him. He also wants people who are willing to follow Him wherever He may lead.

Since he had made an important change in his life, Matthew hosted a going away dinner to which he invited Jesus and His disciples along with a bunch of his tax collecting friends. It seems like Matthew wants his old friends to meet his new friend Jesus. This reveals that Jesus also wants followers who are willing to share Him with others. Sometimes we need to remember that we are here to introduce people to Jesus.

But the story doesn’t end there. After the meal some people were critical. The critics didn’t attack Jesus directly. They came to His disciples and asked why their teacher had eaten with “tax collectors and “sinners.” They didn’t see this gathering as a good thing. They could only see the potential for contamination by mingling with people of whom they did not approve.
The critics were attacked indirectly, but Jesus responds directly. He tells them that His mission is not to come to people who don’t think they need any help, but to those who know that they do. He said “I have not come to call the righteous but ‘sinners.’”

In the final analysis all of us are like Matthew. We may not be tax collectors, but we have all fallen far short of God’s design for us. We have all sinned against God. And that means that every single person needs Jesus. We need to hear His call in our life. And when we do answer His call, we need to introduce Him to as many of our old friends as we can so they can hear His call too.

Author Philip Yancey states that there are eight times in the Gospels when Jesus accepts an invitation to eat with someone. The first example of Jesus dining with someone is found in the John chapter 2 when He attends a wedding reception in Cana of Galilee.

Despite the work, planning and forethought that goes into weddings, strange things can happen. A misplaced ring, a misspoken vow, or some other mistake can create an unwanted, but long-lasting memory. That happened at the wedding Jesus attended. For whatever reason, the hosts ran out of wine, a horrible faux pas. Ultimately, Jesus turned 6 large containers of water into wine so the feast could continue.

Some people may wonder why Jesus would be at a wedding in the first place. People often see Jesus as a stern, serious wet blanket who spent most of His time being critical of people’s behavior and wanting to stop them from having fun. But there He is at the wedding, enjoying life right along with everybody else.

Once He was there, though why get involved in solving the problem? One reason is Jesus’ compassion. Jesus did something about the situation because He cared. Maybe that’s the best lesson we can learn from this story. Jesus cares about what goes on in our lives too. Nothing we face is too big or too small for Him to care about. Whenever you are facing an obstacle or problem, why not get Jesus involved?

Of course another reason for Jesus’ actions is found in what John 2:11 says, “This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.” This was more than just a miraculous solution to a difficult problem; it was a sign revealing Jesus’ glory. One of Jesus’ main tasks was to demonstrate that He was more than just an impressive teacher or a marvelous example. According to this verse, this first miracle began to do just that. His disciples who witnessed what took place “…put their faith in Him.” This was just the first glimmer of that faith. It faith would mature and grow until finally His followers realized that He was the very source of salvation and eternal life.

The seventh and final sin in the list of “Seven Deadly Sins” is the sin of sloth.

Synonyms for Sloth include: laziness, lethargy, idleness, inactivity, and apathy. The Bible has a lot to say about this deadly sin.

Most Old Testament references talk about PHYSICAL SLOTH. Passages talk about not doing things at the proper time (Prov. 20:4 and Eccl. 10:18) Lazy people tend to procrastinate and often don’t “get around” to doing things until it is too late. Therefore they are often full of excuses (Prov. 26:13)

Slothfulness doesn’t just reveal itself in physical inactivity, however. Sloth can be seen in RELATIONSHIPS. Mark 14 tells the story of how Peter, James, and John didn’t keep watch and pray as Jesus requested. Instead they let Him down by falling asleep, not once but three times!

Sometimes we fill our lives with low priority things and then we don’t have the energy left for those closest to us. We can be lazy about MAKING, MAINTAINING, or DEEPENING relationships. Each of these activities requires a effort and diligence, something we may not do if we fill our lives with energy-sapping activities and commitments.

The ultimate danger of sloth is SPIRITUAL SLOTHFULNESS. Sloth ultimately reflects our attitude towards God. If we lack diligence in spiritual areas and are undisciplined in following Jesus, we aren’t a follower at all. The word “disciple” has “discipline” nestled within.

Instead of putting God first in their lives, some people fill their lives with so much busyness and activity that they don’t have anything left over for God. That leaves them easy targets for temptation and makes them too selfish to serve others.

Peter learned from his experience when he let Jesus down! Listen to what he wrote in 1 Peter 5: “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith…”

Don’t let your life get so full of trivial events and pursuits that you grow spiritually sluggish. Don’t let yourself grow spiritually lazy. Be diligent, stay strong, stand firm!

The fourth sin in the list of “Seven Deadly Sins” is lust.

Lust can be defined as “an impulsive, passionate desire, hunger, or yearning that leads to actions lived out without thought of the consequences or consideration of where those actions may lead.”

Fortunately, the Bible is not silent on this issue:

It is based in misplaced desire.

“They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator…” Romans 1:25

It rises from improper attitudes.

“…after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” James 1:14

It opens the door to Satan.

“…each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.” James 1:14

Help for the struggler:

God understands your struggle, talk to Him about it.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

Take practical steps to dealing with your temptation

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8

Draw closer to God and He will draw close to you.

Even though we are surrounded by many messages that tell us purity doesn’t matter, God still wants us to live holy and pure lives. God cares about our struggles and He will help us in our journey. Above all “let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.  Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:22-23