Devotional December 12, 2018

Devotional for Adults

December 12, 2018

How much do you love God?

"A creditor had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii and the other fifty. Not having them with what to pay, he forgave them both "(Luke 7:41, 42).

SIMON THE PHARISEE invited Jesus and his disciples to a dinner. On that occasion, he explained the parable to help understand how great is the love of a person to whom God has greatly forgiven and given peace to his heart. This joy is priceless, it is incalculable. Simon had been healed of leprosy by Jesus, but even so, his character had not been transformed and his principles had not changed.

Mary's love for her Savior was expressed as Jesus told Simon:

«I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet; but with tears of repentance, driven by love, Mary has washed my feet, and dried them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this one, which you despise, since I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet ». Christ enumerated the opportunities that Simon had had to show the love he had for his Lord, and his appreciation of what had been done in his favor (E. G. White, The Desire of Ages, page 563).

How much do you love God? Little or a lot? Mary with much effort and sacrifice bought a very fine perfume, to anoint Jesus in life, that is, when we must give all possible love to God and to our fellow men.

At the funeral, her sweetness would only have filled the grave, but now it filled her heart with the assurance of her faith and love. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus did not offer their gift of love to Jesus during his life. With bitter tears, they brought their expensive spices to their rigid and unconscious body. The women who brought aromatic substances to the grave found that their diligence was futile, because he had risen (ibid., P 558).

But Mary, in pouring out her offering on Christ, while he was aware of her devotion, anointed him for burial. Many are those who offer their most valuable offerings to the dead, and in the grave they abound in words of love, tenderness and appreciation, but they no longer see or hear them. In life you need the words of love, kindness and affection.

There are few who appreciate everything that Christ is for them. If they did, they would express Mary's great love, they would freely offer the perfume, and they would not consider it a waste. They would have nothing too expensive to give to Christ, no act of self-denial or personal sacrifice would seem too great to bear for love of him (idem, page 561).