“..She has done a beautiful thing to me.” Mark 14:6 (NIV)
I read in a local newspaper of how a Christian Organization had used its funds to help many farming families in the Polonnaruwa District in Sri Lanka, seriously affected by the silent killer, Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). Through a beautiful act of love, this organization has so far built 8 out of a targeted 15 ‘safe water’ community wells with filtration units, to provide pure drinking water for over 8000 people. In one village, the land to set up the unit had apparently been donated by a farmer who himself was dying of CKD (Another beautiful act).
In Mark 14, Jesus was at the home of Simon the leper when a lady came up to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume. She broke the jar and anointed Jesus’ head with the expensive perfume (Mark 14:3). Although she was scolded harshly by some who were present since they felt that her gracious act was a waste (Mark 14:4-5), Jesus looked at it very differently. He mentioned that she had anointed his body for burial (Mark 14:8) and called her act ‘a good thing’ (Mark 14:6). The NIV translates it as ‘a beautiful thing’. He also confirmed that her ‘beautiful act’ would be remembered forever (Mark 14:9)!
We too are called to do ‘beautiful things’ for God so that the lonely and hurting could feel His love in a tangible way. When David took care of his faithful friend Jonathan’s crippled son Mephibosheth, it was a ‘beautiful thing’ that lasted a lifetime (2 Samuel 9:7). Similarly, when Barnabas befriended Saul and found acceptance for him among the disciples who were suspicious of Saul’s motives, it was a ‘beautiful act’ (Acts 9:27). What about you?
May God use us to do ‘beautiful things’ for Him. Someone said, ‘Duty makes us do things well; Love makes us do them beautifully’.
Prayer – Lord help me to spread your beauty wherever I go by doing beautiful things to glorify You.
By Palitha Jayasooriya
Used by Permission
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