02 Feb Freedom to Ezer

As we have learned in the Forever teaching series, if we focus on Heaven then it will free us here.  What does that look like though in real life?

While it is not the perfect example, the underlying principle can be seen in an act by Mary of Bethany in John 12: 1-11.  Just a few days before the crucifixion, Jesus is at a dinner in his honor, given at a man’s house he most likely healed.  Mary and Martha most likely were there as ezers.  They were helping to make sure Jesus felt invited and welcomed.  Mary takes an expensive bottle of perfume, breaks it open and proceeds to anoint Jesus feet, and possibly his hair as well.   This caused uproar among the disciples, especially with Judas Iscariot.  While Mary probably did not recognize the huge significance of what she had just done, her focus on Jesus and worshiping him above all else stands out.   She must have been moved by God to perform this sacrificial act and she carried it out freely without a thought as to what others might think of her.

If we had that same kind of unwavering focus on living forever in Heaven and our real lives there, instead of the here and now, it would free us to be inviting to those people around us who seem to be missing the message of the gospel.  We would no longer care what they think of us;  we would only be concerned that they go with us and live with Jesus for Eternity.  Being nurturing to those who are hard to nurture, who are rejecting us, but ultimately Christ, would take on a much greater meaning.

Father, help us to be the ezers you are calling us to be in this world while focused on the next.   Thank you for the freedom that comes from concentrating on this life as preparation for the next.  Help us to freely, without hesitation, come alongside those you have put in our lives who may not know you.