Re-gifting the Gift

Pastor Darryl Bentley

Midland SDA Church

December 26, 2009

Homiletical Idea: Of all the gifts that we could receive in this world, the free gift of God’s saving grace is the best gift of all.  The more sinful we are when Christ saves us, the more thankful we should be to find forgiveness.  We should show our appreciation by giving glory to God and through sharing or re-gifting the wonderful gift that we have ourselves been given.

Bad Gifts

            There is likely no one here today that has never received a bad gift.  By bad I mean one that you did not particularly care for.  I know I have.  If I think back on gifts I have received I recall getting some really ugly neck ties, some t-shirts I would not be caught dead in, some games I would not play if I were stranded on an island bored out of my mind, and some food that I would not want to eat if I were the lone survivor of a plane crash.

            How about you?  Have you ever received a gift that you did not like or want?  Of course I think we can all relate to this.  Of course most of us simply smile and try to be gracious when we get these less-than desirable gifts.  We may toss the gift into a closet and pray that the giver never asks us why they have not seen us wear it.  We may donate the gift to Adventist Community Services or the Goodwill store.  But sometimes we even choose to re-gift certain gifts don’t we?  I was at a Christmas party just this year where each attendee received a small gift.  I tore into mine to see what we had, and a friend of mine decided to leave his wrapped after seeing what we received.  He commented, “This is one less gift to buy or to have to wrap.”  He had already decided to re-gift his gift.

Good Gifts

            Now I realize that not all gifts that are re-gifted are cheesy ones that no one wants.  Some gifts are so awesome that we know someone else would love to have one too.  So we may choose to re-gift those gifts in the sense of buying one just like it to share with someone else.  I am of the belief that God’s gifts fall into this category.  Not in the sense that we can buy God’s gifts, but rather because we should be moved to share the riches of God with the world around us after we have received them.

Transition to the Text

            If we turn our thoughts toward the Scriptures we discover that our benevolent God is always willing to shower gifts upon His children.  He is forever attempting to woo us to Himself that He might be worshipped and glorified and that we might taste of the eternal life that He longs to give us. 

            When Christ was on this earth He sought to teach men and women of the wonderful gift of salvation through accepting His sacrifice for their sins.  He freely offered this wonderful gift to all who would but reach out their hand and take it.  As the masses thronged about Him he felt compassion for them and healed their physical infirmities.  When sinners weak and tempest-tossed fell at His feet He extended the hand of mercy to lift them from the pit of their sinfulness.  All who sought out the Savior with a longing heart left Him with a content heart.

            There are many stories that illustrate these mighty workings of God, but one I love to hear told is that of Mary, the sister of Lazarus.  Mary was one whom demons tortured.  Mary was one whom men had led into sin.  Mary was one whom the Savior had extended His gift of salvation, and Mary was one that had taken that gift and cherished above all else in this world.

A Feast at Simon’s House

The Bible records a story that is found in all four of the Gospels.  Often time stories among the gospels are recorded in only one, two, or three of the Gospels, but some stories are to be found in all four Gospel accounts.  Stories such as Jesus feeding the 5,000, the plot to betray Jesus, the revealing of Christ’s betrayer, Gethsemane, and the resurrection of Christ are among those common to all four Gospel accounts.

            There is also another story common to all four Gospels.  A story that reminds us of the great gift of God’s saving grace and how one lost and lonely woman received it.  During the height of Christ’s popularity He was invited to the home of Simon the Pharisee.  Simon was a recipient of Christ’s physically healing power in that Simon had been a leper.  To go from being a Pharisee to a leper was social death.  It was to go from being among the elite to the lowest of the low.  Jesus rescued Simon from his horrid disease and for that Simon was thankful and he considered himself a follower of Jesus.  But Simon had not allowed his heart to be transformed; only his skin had felt the healing touch of the Master.  His heart was yet to be changed.  This healed leper held a feast to which he invited Jesus.  Many from Jerusalem had come to attend the feast that they might affix close, unfriendly eyes upon Jesus. 

The Uninvited Guest

While they all reclined around the table there entered in a woman of Bethany who also knew of Jesus.  Quietly and uninvited this woman came into the room and made her way to Jesus carrying a one pound alabaster box or vial of spikenard perfume (John 12:3).

**Read Luke 7:36-38**

            Try to imagine this scene for a moment.  As Christ and His disciples are eating and visiting around the table this woman comes in quietly and weeping.  She breaks open a 1-pound vial or box of perfume and anoints Jesus’ head (Matthew 26:6) and feet.  All the while she is allowing her tears to wash his feet and with her hair she attempts to wipe them dry.  Have you ever gone by a fragrance counter and tested a new cologne or perfume?  Have you ever sprayed too much?  You then walk around with your eyes watering or sneezing because you got too much on you.  Can you imagine how the room would have smelled with a pound of perfume having been spilled out?  No one in the room would have been able to miss what was happening.

            Of course the Bible reveals that Jesus’ host, Simon, did not miss what was happening either.  Notice verse 38.

**Read Luke 7:39**

Quick to Judge

It is so amazing to me how quickly we all are to point the deficiencies of others when we ourselves have a log in our eye.  Simon was no exception to this.  Simon whose skin once rotted from his bones because of leprosy was still rotten on the inside.  Simon who looked at this woman with contempt and hatred was among those responsible for having led her into the sin of sexual immorality. Yet he now looked upon her with disgust and scorn.  The self-righteous condemnation with which Simon wrought his thoughts was more than apparent to Jesus because Jesus reads the heart friends.  In Hebrews 4:13 Paul reminds us that there is nothing hidden from the eyes of God.

            Jesus’ words announce his understanding of the heart when He responds to Simon’s unspoken statement.

**Read Luke 7:40**

            Jesus then relates to Simon a simple parable of two debtors: one owing a large sum of money and the other a much smaller sum.  Jesus allows Simon to answer as to who should be most thankful for having their debt graciously forgiven.  Rightly, Simon said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.”

Open Rebuke & Forgiveness of Sins

            After having related this parable Jesus then seeks to draw Simon’s thoughts to what he should have done for Christ.  It was customary to offer water and towels with which to wash one’s feet.  Often this was done by a servant in the house (Genesis 18:4).  It was customary to greet one another with a holy kiss to each side of the face (2 Samuel 15:5).  It was customary to offer oil with which to anoint the head for refreshing (Ecclesiastes 9:8).  None of these things had been done for Simon’s holy guest.  Had Simon not given reason to rebuke him it is likely Jesus would not have made a spectacle of him, but Simon’s own sense of inflated piety caused him to be the center of attention in a most unwanted way.

            On the other end of the spectrum we come back to the woman; a woman from whom Jesus had cast seven demons; a woman who had lived an immoral life, but also woman who had experienced the saving grace of Jesus Christ.  There amidst the crowded room Jesus pronounced her clean in a spiritual sense. 

Although sinful, she received God’s gift of salvation that is freely offered to all people.  Although filthy from a life of sin she was cleansed by the One who can wash all of our sins away.

Re-gifting the Gift Part 1

            Unlike the neck tie your uncle gives you that looks like it came from the 60’s, Jesus’ gift is something that you and I should desperately want.  Unlike that fruit cake your co-worker gave you, Jesus’ gift is one that is fulfilling.  Jesus’ gift is one that should motivate us to want to re-gift it in a positive way.

            When you and I visit a great restaurant and the service is awesome we are very likely to tell the server and hopefully leave a nice tip.  It usually does not stop there does it?  No, we will then tell all our friends and family that they too will be inclined to go there too.  When we do that we bring glory to that particular business.  I am a lover of Asian food.  I like Thai and Chinese foods best.  My favorite Chinese restaurant is China Garden in Mt Pleasant.  They have the best vegetarian menu I have ever seen, period.  Back home in Hickory, NC there is a Thai restaurant called Tia’s.  In my opinion Tia’s is the best place to get Thai food.  I have no problem recommending these restaurants because I have tasted them and they are awesome.

            Mary understood this principle of giving glory.  That is why she went into a house where she was not welcome.  She went there not to be around the affluent in her society. She went there that she might pay homage to her Jesus that had freed her from the bondage of sin.  She took the gift of salvation that she had received and she re-gifted it in the form of praise back to God.  She did not care that the men around the room looked upon her with contempt.  She was not concerned about her social standing.  She was intent on giving glory to Jesus while He was yet alive to receive it.

Why is it that we are so quiet when it comes to singing God’s praises?  Perhaps it is because we have not fully received the gift ourselves.  If we have not experienced salvation for ourselves then how can we be excited about sharing it with others?  On the contrary, if we have been to the well and drank living water then we will be intensely motivated to bring others to the well.

Re-gifting the Gift Part 2

            That is the second part of this re-gifting the gift equation.  First, we will want to praise God for His goodness, but secondly we will want to tell others of His great love for us.  And sharing the love of God is not something trivial as which restaurant we should eat at.  Whether or not we share the love of Christ with those around us has eternal consequences.

            Mary knew the difference between eternal and temporal things.  While Martha was busy serving and bustling around the house, Mary was listening to every word from the lips of Christ.  She longed to glorify Jesus, and because of her commitment to give back to Christ her story is to be told until Christ comes again.

            Notice what Christ said as recorded in Matthew.

**Read Matthew 26:13**

            What else can we do that has such eternal consequences?  What other gift can we share with the world that will bring them such happiness?  What could be more worthy of our time than the sharing of the Gospel of Christ?  Mary knew this, friends, and because she was willing to be faithful her story is now told wherever the Gospel of Jesus is preached.

The New Year

            The New Year is fast approaching.  Lots of people will resolve to lose weight, exercise more, or some other task worthy or their attempts.  But what will you resolve to do for Jesus?  What will it take to motivate you to share your Jesus with the world around you?  It is my prayer that each of you, as your resolution, will fall so in love with the Lord of heaven that you will feel driven to share with others what Jesus has done for you.

Wrap-up and Appeal

            I believe that time is short friends.  I believe that the day is coming that it will be difficult to share our faith.  I believe that Jesus wants us to stop being closet Christians and share our faith with the world around us.  I believe that Jesus wants you and me to re-gift the gift of salvation to a dying world.  The next you are standing in mile-long lines at retail stores to take back gifts that you either do not like or that do not fit, I  challenge you to recall this message today.  I challenge you to recall the story of a sinful woman finding the Savior.  I challenge you to follow her lead and re-gift the gift of salvation.  Never be ashamed to praise God for His goodness, and please do not ever be afraid to share your faith.  God’s heart will be touched and you will be blessed.  For truly friends “It is more blessed to give than receive.”

            How many of you today are willing to accept my challenge to re-gift the gift of Jesus?  Let us pray.