Remaining Fragrance

Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. John 12:3

I wonder how long the expensive fragrance lingered on His feet.

If the smell remained days later.

Guessing for a few it did.

After bathing? Probably.

Nard was expensive due to its high quality.

It was usually reserved for royalty, sealed in an equally expensive alabaster jar to preserve the special fragrance.

It was the best money could buy.

Mary poured it out on Jesus because of Who He was.

The Son of God.

Our Messiah.

The King of Kings.

How about 6 days later.

Do you think the fragrance lingered still?

That’s when Jesus was arrested.

Through the trial?

Through the flogging?

Through the agony on the cross?

What if God’s timing allowed the fragrance to whiff here and there while Jesus suffered?

Reminding Him of His purpose and identity.

Whiffs of sacrifice and worship while enduring.

How about you?

Do you recognize when God does that for you?

Notice.

Notice the goodness of God amidst the suffering.

Notice the love of God while enduring.

Notice the fragrance of God, who goes before you, stands behind you, and is always right by your side.

Jesus was fully God, yet fully man.

And God was there for Him, too.

Photos by Elena GTom CrewAlicia Quan, & Danie Franco on Unsplash

Minutes in Hell

Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

As we remember September 11th, the iconic images float before us once again.

A tower on fire.

Screaming sirens.

Plane slamming into the other tower.

Confused faces.

Firefighters running towards the chaos.

Blackness engulfing as the towers fall.

Silence and death creeping towards more victims.

We saw it in real time. We witnessed the horror. We try to make sense of the evil we saw.

Can you imagine the terror overtaking those souls as they waited in hell?

47 minutes. How long Flight 11 was in the air before slamming into the North tower.

48 minutes. How long Flight 175 was in the air before crashing into the South tower.

34 minutes. How long Flight 93 knew they were hijacked before crashing themselves to the ground in PA.

56 minutes. How long the South tower was on fire before collapsing to the ground.

100 minutes. How long the North tower was on fire before collapsing to the ground.

Minutes that seemed like eternity.

Minutes lived in uncertainty and fear.

Minutes which became their last.

Those in the planes or towers suffered while waiting.

Waiting for certain death on the plane or the unknown in the tower.

In an instant all went to meet their Maker.

Were they ready?

Were they ready to meet God?

We never know when our last day will arrive.

Could be today, could be tomorrow.

Or maybe in a few years.

Guessing none of these precious people even thought about death that morning before events erupted.

But that didn’t matter, did it.

We must be ready today as God doesn’t guarantee our tomorrows.

As those precious people waited long minutes in hell, their life ended, quitting the turmoil surrounding their end.

But if we are appointed to meet God, and we’re not ready?

Our hell will last for all of eternity.

Those minutes will evolve into hours, days, months, years, and decades, turning onto forever.

Forever separated from God.

Forever living in agony.

Forever living in hell.

We try to imagine the hellish moments endured by those precious people on September 11th.

We cry out from the depths of our souls at the injustice of their suffering.

Yet it will be nothing compared to our eternity apart from God.

The choice is still yours.

Where will you spend eternity?

Choose wisely. God has already chosen you.

Photos by Martina MainettiAidan BartosTim Mossholder, & Ben White on Unsplash