Holy Fire Conference 2023: Wasteful Worship
Guest Speaker: Pastor Teddy Lee
Scripture: Mark 14:3-9
“What is the best ‘return on investment” (ROI)?” This is a question often used in financial circles and in recent years we are seeing it creep more and more into our daily lives. From social media to the self-help aisle, we’re constantly being told how to assess the quality of our lives and even our relationships. And while it may be a helpful form of considering the pros and cons of any given thing, it is important for us to consider how this lines up with a Cross-shaped life demonstrated by Jesus. In our passage this week, we see a woman who makes the bold decision of presenting herself before a group of Jewish men so that she could anoint Jesus with a bottle of perfume. Not only was this a social risk but a financial one as well. Some of the men muttered amongst themselves about how this bottle, which was valued at a year’s wage, could have been sold and given to the poor. The woman is not dissuaded by this cost and the text says that she even breaks the bottle so that it can’t be reused and proceeds to pour over Jesus’ head. In other words, this isn’t something she can take back but is something she gives wholly and sacrificially to Jesus. In many ways, this is one of Scripture's most vivid displays of true worship and what God desires for us in our lives. Instead of being concerned with the ROI of such an act, Jesus recognizes the true value of the heart behind the act and appreciates it for what it is: wasteful worship. In this sense, it can be said that most of what we consider to be worship is wasteful by the world’s standards. What this teaches us is that where the world might measure successful worship with numbers and quantifiable data, this woman understands that true worship only requires an audience of one. In her mind, the worth of Jesus far outweighed the value of this bottle and despite it probably being the most expensive thing she owned, its true value was symbolic of her giving her entirety to him. Herein lies the irony. While it may look wasteful to the world, true worship is always profitable because, by the end of this story, Jesus becomes her defender and her champion. In the words of Mark, “she has done what she could” and that was enough. But while the world may continue to look down on her for this poor investment, she has gained a savior that will outlast these opinions. Therefore, when we consider the worship in our own lives, from our everyday interactions that can quickly resemble transactions to how we spend our time and money, maybe there is room in our lives for a little bit more “wastefulness”. In this way we can reflect the God to whom we worship; a God who poured himself out for us and was also broken (Philippians 2:6-7). He sees every “wasted” tear and hears every “wasted” cry and did not consider it unfruitful to save his enemies. He is ever-present and has defeated sin to become our defender and champion. He is worthy of our worship!
Study Questions:
In what ways do you see a “ROI” mindset creeping into your relationships and everyday life?
What can we learn from this woman’s example before this group of men?
How can we be more bold in our worship and less mindful of what other’s think about us?
In what ways has our worship become “transactional” between us and God?
Reflect on what you have gained in your relationship with Jesus. Is it measurable or quantifiable?
