Student Leadership 301: GenerositySýnishorn

Day 2 

Imagine working every week for an entire year. We’re talking no vacations, holidays, or sick days. Every paycheck you earn is immediately placed in a savings account. You would have a lot of money by the end of the year, wouldn’t you? 

Now, imagine you used all that money to buy ONE bottle of perfume. 

This might seem like a strange thing to spend so much money on but that’s where historical and cultural context provide perspective. Historians have noted that pure nard (perfume) was used as an incense offering when you died, and would be used to anoint your body when you were buried. This perfume was precious not just because of its price, but because of its purpose and significance. 

So imagine the scene in John 12 when this woman named Mary used this crazy expensive bottle of perfume to wash Jesus’ feet! 

To those watching, Mary’s actions seemed irresponsible and wasteful. She didn’t just bring Jesus a gift — she brought Him a sacrifice.

But in John 11, just one chapter before we see Mary pouring perfume on Jesus’ feet, we see her soaking His feet with her tears. Her brother, Lazarus, had just died and she was in the middle of grief, confusion, and heartbreak. But it was there, in the middle of her pain, where Jesus did the impossible and brought her brother back to life.

What others saw as waste, Mary saw as a chance to thank Jesus for what He had done for her and her family. Her audacious generosity was fueled by gratitude and the same is true for us today. When we recognize how God cares for us it frees us to care for others. 

What are you grateful for today? What has God done for you? In what ways can that gratitude fuel your generosity?