I not only write
devotions, but I read devotions written by other Christian writers, sometimes quite
a few in a single day. One devotion, which
struck me recently, I read from my current morning devotion book, “For All the Saints.” One of the Scripture readings for that day
was from Mark 14:1-11, which relates the account of the lady who anointed
Jesus’ feet with a very costly jar of ointment, or perfume. Chinese Evangelist, John Sung, pointed out
what Jesus said about the woman in verse 9, “I tell
you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she
has done will also be told, in memory of her." Sung wrote, “The fragrance of what this woman did has persisted all down the years
until the present. Of all the events
that have occurred throughout the world, all through the centuries, the vast
majority are not worth remembering. Yet
whenever the gospel is preached we shall remember this woman.”
Sung continues
his devotion, “Jesus gave His life for
us. In what way, apart from hearing, can
we bring Him comfort? . . . if we are to be remembered in a way that endures
there is only one way to do it. We must
for the Lord’s sake break the alabaster jar. And we must offer ourselves entirely
to God. . . The time will come, and perhaps soon, when you must pass on. What will you do now for the Lord? The Lord broke the alabaster jar – in other
words He shed His blood and died for our redemption. He did all that for us. What, then, shall we do for Him?”(“For All
the Saints,” Volume II, pages 793-795.)
I’m not sure what
specifically about this devotion struck me, but I do know that I haven’t heard
this account of the woman explained in this way before. Yet, the bottom line is that Jesus gave His
life for us. He willingly suffered
injustice and died the cruel death of a convicted criminal on the cross to pay
for our sins. How WILL we serve
Him? My service of Jesus is a response
to His sacrifice for me.
The concluding
prayer in this devotion also really touched me.
The prayer was written by Ignatius Loyola, a Roman Catholic priest from
the 1500’s who is famous for his mission fervor, and famous for his role in The
Counter-Reformation. Loyola’s prayer
also especially spoke to my mind and to my soul.
“Teach us, good Lord, to serve Thee as Thou
deservest, to give and not to count the cost; to fight and not to heed the
wounds, to toil and not to ask for rest; to labour and not to ask for any reward,
save that of knowing that we do Thy will.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
I want to live
like St. Ignatius prayed, to serve the Lord with all my life. Or, as Pastor Sung wrote, because Jesus broke
the alabaster jar for me, I want to be willing to break my jar for Him.
How about you? Do you want to live your life for Jesus? As
John Sung wrote, The Lord broke the
alabaster jar – in other words He shed His blood and died for our
redemption. He did all that for us. What, then, shall we do for Him?”
A Child of God, Desiring
to Break My Alabaster Jar, to Serve Jesus With My Whole Life,
Pastor Jonathan
P.S. St.
John News:
·
SUNDAY
SCHOOL STARTED LAST SUNDAY
o Sunday
School Classes began last Sunday at 9:45 for children of all ages, from birth
through adulthood.
o ADULT
CLASSES –
§ “We
want to see Jesus” – Taught by Pastor Schultz in the Fellowship Hall is
looking at the book of Mark.
§ “Basic
Teachings of Scripture - Adult Membership Class” – Taught by Pastor
Jonathan Rockey in the library.
P.P.S.
Here are some personal pictures from the past week.
· My
sister, Martha Reaves, and her husband, Mark, were in town for 2 weeks. Here are a few pictures of their last two
days with us. https://photos.app.goo.gl/Tys2jCCoQNoQYTb97
· In spite of much rain and higher
rivers, I did go fishing with former St. John member and friend, Ron Hawkins, on
Friday, September 10. https://photos.app.goo.gl/MgxPTaHGjUHwrxKWA
*****
ABOUT THIS DEVOTION - I retired at
the end of August 2019 from serving as senior pastor of St. John Lutheran
Church in Palmer, AK. I was writing a weekly devotion previously
entitled, "Thoughts from the Pastor." When I retired
many asked me to continue writing these devotions. So I have continued
writing. However, with life's changes I now call this weekly devotion "Journeys
Through Life as a Child of God." Since I am no longer senior
pastor at St. John, I felt it right to only send this message to those who
asked to receive it. (Though I am now serving again part-time at St. John
as assistant to the pastor.)
So, if you stopped receiving these devotions and wondered why, now you
understand. And, if you are now receiving these devotions and do not wish
to receive them, please let me know, and I’ll gladly remove your name from my
distribution list. My e-mail address is jonrock53@mtaonline.net.
My prayer is that these devotions help each of you in your daily walk with our
Lord, Jesus.
*******
Jonathan Rockey
Child of God
Husband, Father,
Son, Grandfather
Pastor Emeritus,
St. John Lutheran Church
E-Mail: jonrock53@mtaonline.net
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