mrsnacks brought up something important:
The Scriptures say to love God with all thy heart and to not worship any other gods but Him. Sounds selfish to one who doesn't have eyes to see or ears to hear. Why is God a jealous God ? Why does He command worship ? Why does Jesus say "follow Me. "
I used to see this as vanity on God's part. Why would He demand worship? In that time I also considered worship to be, you know, like worship in the churches (singing, dancing, shouting).
Now when we worship Him in Spirit and Truth, it's more obvious that God doesn't need our worship, we need to worship God! We need to be changed into His image, it's not for God's benefit, it's for OUR benefit.
I think also that Mary's act of love was good for her because SHE needed to realize a couple of things.
She did it for His burial.
For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial. (Mat 26:12 KJV)Interesting to note that this was in fact part of the burial ritual:
They took, therefore, the body of Jesus, and bound it with linen clothes with the spices, according as it was the custom of the Jews to prepare for burial; (Joh 19:40 YLT)When Mary did this it was part of her dying to the cares of this world, it's a type of what Paul says in Romans 6:
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (Rom 6:4 KJV)We need to fix our eyes on Jesus Christ, because WE need it, not because of vanity on His part.
God bless you,
Eirik
PS.
And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves?
And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth. (Zec 4:12-14 KJV)
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They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. (Mat 25:3 KJV)Is this speaking of the same oil?