In league with the Destroyer?
Got your hard-toed shoes on? Hope so, because this may hurt…it sure made me yell “OUCH!!”
Remember the lady in the gospels who poured costly perfume on Jesus’s feet? (She’s mentioned in Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 7, and John 12.)
What was one of the main gut-reactions of those who were there? “What a WASTE!! She could have sold this and GIVEN the money TO THE POOR!”
I was curious about that word WASTE, so I looked it up in my Strong’s Concordance.
WASTE: Greek word 684: apoleia, which means ruined, destroyed, damnable.
That caught my attention for two reasons. First, that’s VERY strong condemnation toward the gal; and second, it reminded me in both the sound and definition of an unsavory angel mentioned in the Book of Revelation—Apollyon.
Mr. Apollyon, according to that Book, is currently “tied up”, awaiting his release with his bizarre, pain-inflicting forces which will create havoc and distress for 5 wretched months—a true 911 crisis. You can find this being in Revelation 9:11, incidentally.
Anyway, Apollyon IS from the same word root as WASTE, or apoleia. Apollyon is the Greek word #623, apollyon, which means DESTROYER.
Back to that lady and her detractors. They accused her of DESTROYING precious goods and basically condemned her gift to Jesus as DAMNABLE.
Here’s the OUCH. Have you caught yourself condemning someone for their giving? I have. Once? Twice? Multiple times? Have you accused them of WASTING their resources on a certain ministry, charitable group, or even an individual?
What you were saying, then, was right in line with the accusers of that woman. You were virtually cursing the giver, the gift, AND the receiver as a waste, as damnable.
Hear Jesus’s take on the whole thing:
“Let her alone; why do you bother her?” (Mk14:6.)
He also declared, “Truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.” (Mk 14:9.)
And you know something? Some of the most incredible miracles of Jesus were only recorded in one gospel. Others can be found in two or three of them. THIS act of extravagant giving, however, is recorded in all FOUR gospels. I believe this underscores Jesus’s passion and affirmation of what took place that day…AND exposes the hearts of all of us (myself included) who decry or bemoan the motives, intelligence, or wisdom of the gifts of others.
You do you. Let God deal with others.
And if you’re STILL uncomfortable with someone else’s giving, go before God and leave it with Him. He may give you the right to speak; but tread lightly…lest you find yourself in league with the Destroyer.