FoundationsSample

Jesus went to the little town of Bethany and entered the home of Simon the leper. You can probably guess that Simon hadn't been a very popular person. He seems to have been healed of his disease by now, but everyone still calls him "the leper." You probably know what it's like to have names stick with you for a long time, right?

While Jesus was there, this beautiful scene took place. A woman came in to pour an expensive oil out on Jesus' head, which was a way people said, "I think you're amazing, and I want all the best for you!" She broke the oil jar, which was every bit as expensive as the oil, and everyone around her got angry. "What a waster!" was what they thought.

But Jesus saw it differently. What looked like a waste, Jesus calls a monumental gift because it was offered to him. When things are offered to Jesus, he can do more than we could ever think. He can look at a broken oil jar and see a beautiful offering. He can look at a man, once a leper, and see Simon as "the healed." He can look at the cross coming very close and see redemption for you and me.

Think it Over: What seems like a waste in your life? How might God see it differently?