我们一家人曾多次收到非常慷慨的礼物，当时都是我们经济有困难的时候，我们感激之心，实在非言语能表达得清楚。但老实说，我是经过了一段时间，才坦然接受这种慷慨的帮助；因为骄傲妨碍了我，接受那些礼物令我感到内疚。然而，关键是那些人被感动送礼物给我们，不是出于内疚或责任；他们这样做，乃是因为他们爱我们一家，又知道神祝福了他们，现在让他们成为别人的祝福。
我们知道，作耶稣门徒——跟从耶稣——的代价，包括倚靠神和顺从衪在我们生命中的呼召，那些祝福我们一家的人已经付上了这代价。今天的故事中的妇人，没有考虑她自己的需要和计划，便把昂贵的礼物送给耶稣，她只是实行神对她的呼召而已。
有些看到这件事的人，质问她为什么这样做；当人顺从神的带领和慷慨待人时，便可能会受到别人的质疑。
我们接受慷慨的礼物时，当然有比我们有更大需要的家庭的；那些用来为耶稣购买香膏的金钱，当然可以用来帮助有需要的人的；然而，在那个时候，耶稣才是这妇人被召去服事的人，那一天，她顺从了神的带领去行。
神在带领你去做什么事？今天衪带领你去服事谁呢？
父啊，求祢让我听到祢的呼召，无论祢领我何往，我都不计代价跟随祢。阿们。
马可福音 14:3-9
3 耶稣在伯大尼长大痲疯的西门家里坐席的时候，有一个女人拿着一玉瓶至贵的真哪哒香膏来，打破玉瓶，把膏浇在耶稣的头上。
4 有几个人心中很不喜悦，说：“何用这样枉费香膏呢？
5 这香膏可以卖三十多两银子赒济穷人。”他们就向那女人生气。
6 耶稣说：“由她吧！为什么难为她呢？她在我身上做的是一件美事。
7 因为常有穷人和你们同在，要向他们行善随时都可以，只是你们不常有我。
8 她所做的是尽她所能的，她是为我安葬的事，把香膏预先浇在我身上。
9 我实在告诉你们：普天之下，无论在什么地方传这福音，也要述说这女人所做的，以为纪念。”
She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. — Mark 14:3
There have been a few times when our family received very generous gifts. Those were times of financial need for us, and they were more appreciated than I could ever say. But, honestly, it took me a while to accept such generosity. Personal pride got in the way and made me feel guilty about accepting those gifts. But the bottom line was always that the people who felt led to give didn’t do it out of guilt or duty. They did it because they loved our family and knew that God had blessed them to be a blessing to others.
We know that the cost of discipleship—following Jesus—involves relying on God and following his calling in our lives. The people who blessed our family were doing just that. The woman in today’s story gave extravagantly to Jesus with no thought about her own needs or agenda. She simply did what she was called to do.
Some of the people who saw this asked why she would do such a thing. That can happen when a person follows God’s leading and shows generosity.
Surely there were other people more needy than our family when we received generous gifts. Surely the money spent on the jar of perfume for Jesus could have helped people in need. But Jesus was the one whom the woman was called to bless at that time. She followed God’s leading in her that day.
What is God leading you to do? Whom is he calling you to bless today?
Father, allow us to hear your call and to follow wherever you may lead, no matter the cost. Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳
