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Goodness
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 12867 |
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June 4, 2006 |
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 "She brought an alabaster vial of perfume, and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet, and anointing them with the perfume" (Luke 7:37-38).
Through the Bible, God has revealed to us His good heart and the secrets to receiving His answers. With the act of goodness in washing Jesus' feet with her tears and anointing Him with perfume, Mary Magdalene received forgiveness of her sins, received God's answers to the problems in her life, and became a blessed woman receiving God's overflowing love.
What is Mary Magdalene's goodness and what specific steps can we take to accomplish the kind of goodness with which God is pleased?
1. The Goodness of Mary Magdalene
We know from Luke 8:2 that Mary Magdalene had been tormented by the forces of darkness and a variety of diseases, and had long been the subject of people's torment and disdain. When she heard the news of Jesus who healed the sick, drove out demons by His Word, and proclaimed the gospel of heaven, Mary Magdalene began to long for Him by faith. Mary Magdalene prepared an alabaster vial of perfume so that she might be healed of all her diseases when she went before Jesus.
Upon hearing that Jesus was visiting at the house of one of the Pharisees, Mary Magdalene raced to the house. Even though people were treating her like a sinner and preventing her from going before Jesus, as her desire to meet with Jesus was too sincere and immense, no one could block Mary Magdalene. Once given the opportunity, however, Mary Magdalene could not dare to go in front of Jesus. Instead, she stood behind Him, wet His feet with her endless tears, wiped Jesus' feet with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with the perfume (Luke 7:37-38).
By her earnest love for Jesus and with her act of truth, the body and the spirit of Mary Magdalene were made anew. Through Jesus, she was set from all the diseases and suffering that had been tormenting her and she never left Jesus' side until the moment He breathed His last on the cross. After Jesus' crucifixion and the day after the Sabbath when it was beginning to dawn, Mary Magdalene became the first person to meet with the resurrected Lord when she had gone to His grave to anoint perfume on His body. Moreover, Mary Magdalene became the most honored woman in all of heaven.
How could Mary Magdalene become such a blessed woman? The reason is found in her goodness that even moved the heart of Father God and her earnest love for Jesus. Mary Magdalene had accomplished a heart that was worthy of such honor.
2. Accomplishing the Kind of Goodness with which God is Pleased
1) The words on your lips must be good.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 15:18 that "the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart." Sometimes you may think you are speaking in your love for the other person, but your words may actually be in the form of evil. There are words with which God feels uncomfortable or even disheartened. There are also times when you do not realize whether your words are good or evil even though you speak in evil without having accomplished a completely good heart.
If so, you must examine yourself. If your words are not perfect, you must make an effort to reduce the number of words and develop a habit of checking to see whether or not the words on your lips are good. Mary Magdalene was always careful with her words and only gave Jesus flawless confessions.
If we truly seek the benefits of others and always place ourselves in the position to understand them, the words on our lips will be good. When you continue to treat others in your standpoint, however, you may think the words on your lips are good but they may not be in God's eyes.
For instance, when one of the prominent church workers falls ill and is subsequently tormented, some of you may become disheartened to see her suffer as if you were watching your own child suffer or as if your own flesh was being scraped out. Some others among you may mix your own thoughts and speak accordingly or make judgments of them.
According to the degree of the goodness in your heart, you may judge the heart and the stance of another or you may become grateful as if his joyous occasion were your own only. When perfect goodness makes a dwelling in your heart, you will only speak the words of grace and spiritual strength.
2) You must always live a life of sacrifice.
As much as perfect goodness makes a dwelling in your heart, you will naturally sacrifice for others. You will by nature sacrifice yourself for God's kingdom, for your brothers and sisters in Christ, and for your family. When you sacrifice yourself in goodness, you will not feel or grow weary; instead, knowing that you can thus sacrifice yourself will be a source of joy.
The heart to sacrifice oneself is the kind of goodness with which God is pleased. He who can sacrifice himself is not self-centered but is always thoughtful and making considerations for others. Just as Jesus sacrificed Himself completely for the Father's kingdom and souls of this world, he will live his life not for his own benefits but dedicate himself to the Father's kingdom and other souls.
With a good heart by which she could completely sacrifice herself, Mary Magdalene followed and clung to Jesus (Luke 8:1-3). Mary Magdalene did not desire to have anything good for herself, but always thought first of Jesus and His disciples. She could not feel happier than to see Jesus and His disciples eating better or resting comfortably even for a little while. Mary Magdalene never desired to receive anything in return for her dedication or boast to others about how she was serving Jesus at His side.
Nor did Mary Magdalene ever serve Jesus and His disciples in the manner she saw fit. As she killed her "self" completely and served them in the midst of the Father's love, she never provided any reason for discomfort or discord to Jesus and His disciples.
3) You must humble yourself from the heart.
When you humble yourself from the heart, you will naturally exalt others and God will recognize this as an act of goodness. Individuals who seek to humble themselves and do not possess the heart to exalt themselves can naturally provide comfort to many people, and their service for anyone can be perfect.
The heart to humble yourself, however, comes from considering others better than you even if you are in a higher position than others both spiritually and physically. So, if you humble yourself from the heart, you will always consider others better than you and serve them without changing your heart even if you whould move up in rank, and gain praise and honor. When their positions or statuses are low, many people seem able to think better of others and serve them in joy. Once they move up to a superior position, however, they soon show their arrogance.
For instance, they are quicker to point out other people's shortcomings or mistakes instead of strengths. In the name of "helping others understand," such individuals will not hesitate to point finger and rebuke. They had asked something of others before, but now they easily command and order others to do it. God's work can be accomplished when people adhere to the top-and-bottom order in an organization and through giving and following orders. However, the person who gives orders must examine himself to see with what kind of heart he had given orders.
Leaders in a group or an organization must look back and see whether or not they thought of reigning over others when they were to humble themselves and serve the people working for them. Leaders must also look back and see whether or not they were after their own interests when they were to devote themselves to the kingdom of God. A spiritual heart does not trample on the other person's heart; it comprehends and embraces others, and earnestly exalts others with a humble heart.
Even though Jesus possessed limitless strength and authority as the Son of God, He humbled Himself to the point of coming into this world in flesh and taking up the sin of all mankind by becoming a sinner Himself.
Mary Magdalene also humbled herself from the heart. Even though she has earned the highest honor as a woman in heaven, Mary Magdalene is so good in her heart that she earnestly wishes for more women to receive greater love of our Lord and become greater joy to the Father.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, Revelation 22:14 tells us, "Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city." Until you enter New Jerusalem, you have to enter by the gates and this requires you to wash your robes.
May each of you come to fathom God's justice and enter goodness through circumcising your heart so that you will move the Father's heart and receive honor and glory in the heavenly kingdom, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ I pray!
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