Mark 14:1-9 New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Anointed at Bethany

14 Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. ² “But not during the festival,” they said, “or the people may riot.”

³ While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.

⁴ Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? ⁵ It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages^[a] and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.

⁶ “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. ⁷ The poor you will always have with you,^[b] and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. ⁸ She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. ⁹ Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

Living in the Kingdom is not about one hour on a weekend. It is 24/7. Day in, day out—preparing and watching. Have you ever noticed how hard it is to keep watching? It is so easy to come to church on Sunday and think we have got God covered. For us, being a Christian can sometimes be reduced simply to going to church. Yet, there’s more to it than that.

1. Prepare by asking “What Can I Give?”
2. Prepare to give lavishly
3. Prepare to be Misunderstood
4. Watch for opportunities to give
5. Watch for ways in which He wants to use you
6. Watch for people on whom you can poor out his love