“God prepares his bride”
Mark 14:1-9
One of the privileges of being a minister is the opportunity to solemnize weddings. I must confess that I had my share of surprising moments during weddings. I remember solemnizing a wedding where both myself, and the groom were having high fever. My head was aching and my whole body was shaking, but I had to go through the ceremony together with the groom who was also praying that the ceremony would end soon because he was also having a difficult time. There was another time where in the middle of the ceremony the bride collapsed, perhaps out of exhaustion from the heat or for lack of sleep and rest prior to the wedding. I had to pause for a while and asked the groom and the maid of honor to assist the bride until she gained consciousness. However, there is one thing I noticed in all the weddings that I solemnized, that is, the bride was always the center of attraction and attention. Most people do not really mind the groom and the other participants, but their eyes are glued on the bride.
The imagery of a bride in the Bible is unique to the followers of Jesus Christ. Only in Jesus do we find the relationship as between husband and bride. Prior to the incarnation of Jesus, the relationship between God and Israel was a relationship between a master and servant. Moses himself was a servant in God’s house and all who followed Moses were servants in God’s house. The reason why Moses and the Israelites were governed by laws, rules and regulations is because they were servants. As long as the servant is faithful in following the rules and regulations in the house, the owner of the house will reward him generously. However, when the servant misbehaves and becomes rebellious, the master will kick him out.
The people of Israel learned this truth the hard way when they forgot that they were servants in God’s house. Ten tribes were kicked out and lost until today because of their rebellion in God’s house. They failed to see that their position was granted on the basis of God’s covenant with Abraham. They thought that because they were descendants of Abraham, then they can do anything they please in God’s house. They forgot that they were servants who must live according to the rules of the owner of the house.
In contrast, the followers of Jesus are no longer called servants but friends, and in a deeper relationship, the bride of Jesus. This concept is illustrated in an incident two days before Jesus was crucified. If you follow the chronology presented by Mark, Jesus entered Jerusalem on a Sunday, and he was met with exaltation and praises from the people. The next day, Jesus went into the temple and cleansed the temple from vendors and stall owners who made his house a den of robbers. Jesus stayed in Jerusalem and taught his disciples many things, but the religious and political leaders were already furious about Jesus and they planned for his arrest. It was Tuesday when Jesus left Jerusalem and went to Bethany and stayed there. Mark 14:1-9 “Two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the chief priests and the experts in the law were trying to find a way to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. 14:2 For they said, “Not during the feast, so there won’t be a riot among the people.” 14:3 Now while Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, reclining at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of costly aromatic oil from pure nard. After breaking open the jar, she poured it on his head. 14:4 But some who were present indignantly said to one another, “Why this waste of expensive ointment? 14:5 It could have been sold for more than three hundred silver coins and the money given to the poor!” So they spoke angrily to her. 14:6 But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a good service for me. 14:7 For you will always have the poor with you, and you can do good for them whenever you want. But you will not always have me! 14:8 She did what she could. She anointed my body beforehand for burial. 14:9 I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”
There are two principles we can learn from this incident.
First, the bride of Jesus delights to be in his presence.
This woman came to Jesus as he was dining with Simon the Leper together with the disciples. She did not wait for any invitation to come to Jesus. As soon as she knew that Jesus was in the house of Simon, she came to him. She did not even care that people around her were ridiculing and criticizing her for her presence and her actions. She was not there for them. She was there for Jesus.
In most cultures, the bride is expected to march towards the groom. This is also true here in the Philippines. The bride marches towards the altar where the groom is waiting. I have not yet seen a bride being forced to march towards the altar. In fact, the bride is full of smiles as she marches towards the altar to meet the groom. She delights to be in the presence of her groom.
Second, the bride of Jesus desires to give the best to him.
This woman came to Jesus and gladly offered the best in her life to him. This is the difference between a servant and a wife. A servant does things for her master because she is told to do so, while the wife does things for her husband because she loves her husband. A servant is bound by rules and regulations, but there are no rules and regulations between husband and wife. When the groom and bride sign the certificate of marriage, there are no attachments about job descriptions, do’s and don’ts, as well as penalties for failure to do the job. They serve each other out of love and respect.
What this woman did was the pattern for every follower of Jesus to do. Since we are not servants, we give out of love and not out of obligation. Since we are not servants, we do not count how much we give to Jesus. Instead, we count it an opportunity to give the best to the one who has given himself to us. Only those who experienced redemption and adoption into the family of God will desire to give the best to God.
John Wesley was a firm believer in God’s grace. He preached 25,000 sermons in his life time. He travelled thousands of miles on horse-back to reach remote communities. He was well-known for his generosity to the work of God. From sales of his books alone, John Wesley gave away £30,000 to £40,000. That was an amazing achievement for a someone who lived in the eighteenth century. When his annual income was £30, he gave £2 to the Lord. The next year, when his salary doubled, he continued to live on £28 and gave the Lord £32. The Lord entrusted him increasing amounts of money, so that in 1787 he was able to tell one of his preachers that he never gave away less than £1000 per year.
The church is bought with the precious blood of Jesus and given the glorious status of being the bride of Jesus. We should delight in his presence and desire to give our best to him.
