Hostage by Rohini George

The central idea of the sermon was the story of Mary breaking the alabaster jar at Jesus’ feet and the preacher analyzed the story by pointing out the following:
The story is significant enough to feature in all four gospels (Matthew 26:6-13, Mark 14:3-9, Luke 7:36-5, and John 12: 1-8).
The preacher took us through the four versions and also mentioned the orientation of the writers to the following aspects of Jesus’s life: Matthew (emphasized what Jesus said), Mark (mainly focussed on what He did), Luke (what Jesus felt), John (who He was).
The church was asked to give a title to the story and mentioned words like, worship, sacrifice, expensive, love, and so on. We focussed on what we thought for ourselves but the preacher mentioned the story is about Jesus. She called it the ‘Anointing of Jesus’ and said this:
What is this story about?
Subject: Jesus
Object: Woman
Prop: Jar

Then she asked us to think about the alabaster jars in our life; things we hold so dear that we cannot offer them to Jesus. The T’s she listed were:

TREASURE
Treasure does not only mean money and she has no problem giving away money. It’s an alabaster jar the preacher can break easily as she watched her father go from a rich businessman to a pauper and remembers the lesson he taught that you could have everything one day and lose it next day. But her children are one area of her life where she cannot submit to God despite knowing that the children belong to God and she only takes care of them.

The preacher read through these verses where Abraham (Genesis 22:2) was asked to give up Isaac and Hannah gave up the precious child she received after ardent prayers (1 Sam 1:11, 24). We need to ask ourselves what is it that we treasure most? Focus most on? Struggle most with? What do fear and pray the most for? The problem is that we believe that we earned these God-given treasures and they are ours. We hold ourselves hostage to the fear of giving up this jar. Jesus already set us free by the finished work on the cross but we are holding ourselves captives. He says give me your treasure, I have something much better for you but it’s very difficult for us to be like Mary.

TALENT
Like the Moses in Exodus 4: 1-17, we don’t believe that we are good enough but if we do that, aren’t we making a mockery of God’s work because the Bible tells us we are His masterpiece? We feel someone else does a better job and feel humble. But this comparison and humility can end in envy which is a dangerous thing. The preacher spoke about her example where she avoided situations where she had to meet new people. We often feel there is nothing special in us. Then Freedom Stall at NLF happened and she made a decision to sit with her husband Suresh. She wanted to just remain in the background doubting herself and thinking she could give wrong answers for some questions people had about the Bible. But God said I’m sending you and then roles switched and now Suresh sits backs and smiles while she deals with people (Shubha: The preacher Rohini is one of the best conversationalists we have at the stall and now engages people in interesting dialogue where they are motivated to know more. This is what Jesus can do when you break the jar at his feet).

She referred to Exodus 4:11 and said when she rosters people and they refuse, she remembers the time when she did the same and thinks it’s payback time.

Sometimes we use our talents selectively and in our comfort zone. God doesn’t always call the capable. He calls the available. If He calls and chooses, you have to do it. It’s up to you that you sit in the belly of whale like Jonah or go to Nineveh. If we don’t surrender, we hold ourselves hostage. If we surrender, God opens doors to something much more beautiful. If you feel you are not trained and haven’t practiced, think of Peter who to 3,000 people without practice.

TIME
The preacher said she struggles with this aspect. She quoted John 1:39-42 where Jesus spent time with the disciples and called them to come and see where he stayed. She then mentioned Luke 5:6-11, and 27-28 where Jesus asks some fishermen at work to follow Him. They were busy men who had jobs and their family would go hungry if they dint earn but they left everything and followed Jesus. Paul was a tentmaker, Luke was a physician, Matthew was a tax collector, the other apostles were fishermen. 3.5 year they followed Him and after these years, it was anti-climax when Jesus died and everything seemed lost. But something they experienced with Jesus made them hold on. Are we in church only when we need Jesus?

When the New Life Fellowship mentorship program for the youth started, the preacher was hesitant to participate. She is comfortable spending time with children but with youth, she was scared. While watching the Blessed Life series, she learnt the God doesn’t want 10pc of your time but all of you. Then she agreed and mentored the youth.

She learnt that even when we are uncomfortable in an area, Jesus, says come and I will change you. But we hold Jesus hostage and say that we will come when all other things in life are settled. We say we will give all the time later but if are old then and not able to get up, what would we contribute?

AND AN EXTRA T…
A day before she preached this sermon, there were only two volunteers for Children’s Club and she was thinking I can’t come and preach after spending all energy. While going through the Children’s Club curriculum, God spoke to her through Exodus 35: 4-5, 10, 20-22, and 25 where all who have talents are called to help build the tabernacle. Similarly, church is our tabernacle. We can bring our treasures, talent, and time here to help build it. The other tabernacle is we ourselves. God has filled us with all T’s. Let us break our jar at Jesus’ feet.

The preacher ended with a C.S. Lewis quote:
“Give me all of you!!! I don’t want so much of your time, so much of your talents and money, and so much of your work. I want YOU!!! ALL OF YOU!! I have not come to torment or frustrate the natural man or woman, but to KILL IT! No half measures will do. I don’t want to only prune a branch here and a branch there; rather I want the whole tree out! Hand it over to me, the whole outfit, all of your desires, all of your wants and wishes and dreams. Turn them ALL over to me, give yourself to me and I will make of you a new self—in my image. Give me yourself and in exchange I will give you Myself. My will, shall become your will. My heart, shall become your heart.”

Reflection by Shubha Jha