6 And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, 7 a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table. 8 But when His disciples saw it,they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? 9 For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor.”
10 But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me. 11 For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always. 12 For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial. 13 Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”
Dear Jesus,
I have such deep debt and obligation to You. It seems as if I am piling up debt. Your grace, mercy, and provision for my life have left me a debtor to Your grace and blessings. I cannot fathom how I can ever repay You.
You have blessed me with a heritage of faith. Thank You for parents, grandparents, and friends who have modeled a life of faith, service, and love to You. They have invested themselves in me.
I am in debt.
You have blessed me with a loving family. I have learned lessons of unconditional love from my wife each time she forgives me for some thoughtless and inconsiderate word. I have learned lessons of love from my children and grandchildren. My son recently remarked that he never understood unconditional love until he had his own child, and felt such incredible love for an infant who was totally dependent upon him for life, and could not even yet return that love. I am in debt.
You have blessed me with meaningful work to do for Your glory. My life has been consumed with discipling others to know You, so that they will share that knowledge, in turn, with others. I live with a desperate desire to multiply my life by influencing others. I long to share the blessings that You have lavished upon me. I am in debt.
You have blessed me with the hope of heaven. Thank You the joy of living life well, passionately, joyfully, hopefully. I delight in the teleology of grace that will consummate in eternity with You. You have gone to prepare heaven for Your children! Breathtaking splendor! I am in debt.
William Barclay wrote: "Love never calculates; love never thinks how little it can decently give; love's one desire is to give to the uttermost limits; and, when it has given all it has to give, it still thinks the gift too little. We have not even begun to be Christian if we think of giving to Christ and to His Church in terms of as little as we respectably can" (In The Gospel of Matthew, vol. 2, p. 364).
Lord, I am spending my life going deeper in debt to You. The only thing I have with which to repay You is my love. Accept my gift of lavish love.
I am Your thankful child, and You are my ever-loving Lord,
Amen.
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