Gospel of John - Spiritual Hospitality: Broken and Spilled Out

       

Spiritual Hospitality : Broken and spilled out

John 12:1-11

In our age of honoring celebrity achievements, boasting of longevity, tributes to men and women on their stature, and bragging on knowledge and skills, people attribute this as hospitality. Hospitality, spiritual hospitality, first and foremost honors God, the creator of all that there is, the giver and sustainer of life, the truth, and the eternal One. For only the Lord is worthy of all honor and glory. Second, it is the demonstration of love, an act of righteous behavior. Third, it is the demonstration of the peace of God, not the obligation or demand for peace. We are to be spirit-filled servants who demonstrate the spiritual gift of hospitality, not expecting adulation from our peers. Jesus said, “So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’” Lk.17:10  

Jesus finds himself the honored guest at the house of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary. Let’s look at the first part of the text, “Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.” 

Jesus and the disciples begin the final journey back to Jerusalem for the Passover. They arrive the week before Passover and of the feast of Unleavened Bread. They return to the house of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary. For Jesus had taught the disciples where you are welcomed, stay, and let your peace rest upon that home.  “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you…” They all remembered the home where Jesus stayed and did the works of God.

The family welcomed Jesus and his disciples into their home, with spiritual hospitality, with sacrifice and service. Lazarus, freshly back from the dead weeks prior and still coddled by his sisters, was reclined at the table with Jesus and the disciples. Martha was as busy as a bee making sure that all are cared for, especially Jesus. But it was Mary, who in sacrificial fashion, who loved to sit at Jesus’ feet and learn from the Master (Lk. 10:39), took out probably her most expensive treasured possession, pure Nard stored in an alabaster box or jar. Its woody and spicy scent filled the room and spilled out the door and window to the street. Mary again in sacrificial love anointed Jesus' feet and wiped them with her hair as she had done before (Jn. 11:2). These were demonstrations of true spiritual hospitality.

Application - Many acclaimations are given to celebrated athletes, stars, and people who bask in the glory of their achievements, but true love isn’t shown by a conjured expectation to applaud the accolades of the honored guest(s). We as the children of God are not to be like the world (Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 1 Jn. 2:15-16). 

God has given us the Holy Spirit to guide us in the gift of hospitality. Truly. All praise goes to God, for without him we could accomplish nothing. The household of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary understood this well. For in the past, God had given them his peace which rested upon their lives and home. Jesus, the Son of God, blessed their home and lives with the works of God (the teaching of God’s word and the resurrection of Lazarus). It wasn’t like that at first, Martha was perturbed and grumbled about all the chores, Lazarus may have been feeling the illness that had taken his life, and Mary wanted to love and be loved. (Lk. 10:38-42) 

God has given us the gifts of the Holy Spirit to be used for His glory, and used for the edification of the church and in the marketplaces of the world among the lost. (Rom. 12:6-8 - “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.” and 1 Pet. 4:8-11 - “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace…in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” 

Let us show true spiritual hospitality, yes we give honor to whom honor is due, but truly all honor belongs to our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us sup with Jesus and with one another, showing true hospitality by loving each other, forgiving sins, serving without grumbling because he has given us the Holy Spirit’s gift to serve, and let us pour out ourselves as fragrant offering for this please God the Father (Eph. 5:1-2 - “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

Just as the household of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary, were examples of true hospitality, yet there are still others who are blind to the spiritual aspect of hospitality. Let’s look at the next portion of the text, “But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial.”

 To the ire of one of Jesus’ disciples, Judas Iscariot, the perfume represented a waste of resources, a squandering of money, that could have been used for the needs of the poor or other uses. Though Judas was incharge of the financial affairs for the ministry (money bag), he also took liberty to misappropriate (steal) money in his keeping for unnoticed uses, possible for his own desires and benefit. But Jesus, knowing the heart and thoughts of all in the house, scolded Judas for his snide and contemptuous comment of Mary’s showing of spiritual hospitality and adoration. Jesus knew the time of his death was near, and he had indirectly spoken of it in parables and his teaching to the disciples. Mary may have overheard it as well, for Jesus says,  “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial.”

Application - Judas had not learned the value of spiritual hospitality, to him it came down to the bottom line of a ledger sheet. He concerned himself with himself and the worries of this world. Like Judas, we forget the importance of the pouring out of love for God and one another, forgiving others, and not grumbling about how others worship but join in and imitate the true acts of spiritual hospitality. 1 Pet. 4:8-9 - “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.

Don’t put a price tag on your love for God and for each other. Mary did the right thing, and she was a type of the work of Christ on the cross. For he poured out his life on the cross as a fragrant offering to the Father, and this is the act of spiritual worship he asks of us. To offer our lives as a fragrant offering in sacrificial service and worship of God. “…present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” and “And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (Rom. 12:1, Eph. 5:2)

Last, Judas seemed to use the poor as an instrument to finagle money to where he desired. Judas shows lack of true spiritual hospitality and he would play into Satan’s scheme alongside the Sanhedrin. Let’s look at the rest of the text, “You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.” Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.  So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him. 

Jesus’ comment draws Judas’ whole twisted issue of the poor back to the reality of the moment: spiritual hospitality and the upcoming needs. Yes, the poor were to be shown spiritual hospitality as well, but there would be time for that later. Jesus again knew once the people found out that he was near Jerusalem, they would be flocking to get a glimpse of him, and Lazarus. Jesus knew within a week he would be crucified. That is why he told Judas, “...You will not always have me.” 

The Pharisees had already put out the edict to report any sighting of Jesus with a handsome price of thirty shekels of silver for his apprehension and arrest, for this was foretold, this was price for the death of a slave (Zech.11:13). 

All of this was done to the glee of Satan, who was secretly working behind the Sanhedrin’s doors, to spur on the plot to kill Jesus, and now Lazarus too. For it was nearly impossible to deny the prophetic signs and the works of God through Jesus. For the testimony and appearance of Lazarus from the dead placed Lazarus as collateral damage in the upcoming trial and death of Jesus.

Application - The times haven’t changed, and neither have the schemes of Satan. He still desires to kill, steal, and destroy the works of God. Just as Lazarus’ rising from the dead was a burr in Satan’s side, he knew Jesus was the real target. He had used the Sanhedrin in the plot to kill Jesus, and he used the Pharisees to spread misinformation about Jesus to discredit the works of God the Father, and Judas as one who was with the light but not in the light would betray him for monetary gain.

Today, we see similar scenarios playing out in the world. Concerns for the poor, but the intended finances scuttled to the projects of killing and maiming the innocents, stealing and misappropriating designated funds to feed global and political pork, and not the least to destroy the works of God by means of counterfeit laws and blatant lies to discredit the church from within and without. 

In the end, God’s will will be accomplished to the utter failure and devize of Satan’s plan. Yes, there will be collateral damage, like the plan to kill Lazarus as well. In the meantime, we are to demonstrate the gifts of the Holy Spirit, especially the gift of spiritual hospitality. Let us honor Jesus and God the Father in all things, let us serve without grumbling. For we are equipped by Jesus for every good work, “Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with every good thing to do His will. And may He accomplish in us what is pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” Heb. 13:20-21

I’m again including the ABC’s of salvation (JD Farag). Please, Jesus, God the Son, came to this world to save all who would believe and trust in him. He desires to reveal himself to you, He is the Light that overcomes the darkness of this lawless world. He hears your prayers, and all authority in heaven and earth have been given to him. He will answer you if you will truly believe. If you haven’t asked him to be your Lord and Savior, today could be that day.

 First, A - Admit that you are a sinner. This is where that godly sorrow leads to genuine repentance for sinning against a righteous God and there is a change of heart, we change our mind and God changes our hearts and regenerates us from the inside out. Romans 3:10 - As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one." Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (We are all born sinners which is why we must be born spiritually in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven). Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The bad news is that the wages of sin is death, in other words our sin means that we have been given a death sentence, we have the death penalty hanging over our heads, that's the bad news. But here's the good news: The good news is that the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ephesians 2:8-9 - For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Second,

 B - Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and that God raised Jesus from the dead. This is trusting with all of your heart that Jesus Christ is who he said he was. Romans 10:9-10 - That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. Third, 

C - Call upon the name of the Lord. Every single person who ever lived since Adam will bend their knee and confess with their mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, the Lord of lords and the King of kings. Romans 14:11 - For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God." Don't wait until later — do this now. Romans 10:13 - For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." "O God, I am a sinner. I'm sorry for my sin. I want to turn from my sin. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son; I believe that He died on the cross for my sin and that He was buried and You raised Him to life. I have decided to place my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior, trusting only in His shed blood as sufficient to save my soul and to take me to heaven. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving me. Amen."

Please share this with someone this week, the Lord knows that we and they need it.

If you would like other lessons, please go to http://pmdinhisservice.blogspot.com 

Until next week, In His Service Mike Davis

I am developing a new webpage on Spiritual warfare. Please give it a look. I’m adding answers each week to questions that pertain to our time today.  Thank you

http://uss-warfare3.webnode.com