It’s one thing to be thankful, but to be extravagantly so may seem like overkill—unless you’re the one being hyper-grateful.
If you were guilty of a crime abd sentenced to life in prison, how much gratitude would be appropriate if one day the governor of your state pardoned you? For how long would you be grateful?
Germany Kent says, “It's a funny thing about life, once you begin to take note of the things you are grateful for, you begin to lose sight of the things that you lack.”
In the morning when I rise, I’m grateful to be alive. When I take my morning walk, I’m grateful I can walk without pain; that I can breathe the morning air without the need for medical assistance. I’m thankful for food, water, and family; for transportation, a place to lay my head, and for friends. The list is long and unique because I’ve been blessed in so many ways.
How much gratitude should we render for life’s blessings? Does it cost us to be thankful; to sing God’s praises?
Costly Praise
One evening as Jesus was dining in the home of Simon (a man whom he had previously healed of leprosy), a question arose about the cost of gratitude and generosity. It is possible that Simon was hosting the evening meal for Jesus and his disciples as a “Thank you” tribute for his cleansing from leprosy. No doubt he was extremely grateful for what Jesus had done.
But then something happened that seemed (for many) to cross the line. A woman entered the dinning room with an expensive jar of perfume that she “foolishly” poured on Jesus’ head and feet. Many believe this woman was Mary of Bethany—the sister of Lazarus. By this time Lazarus had been resurrected, so this may have been one of Mary’s motivating thoughts. There is no conclusive evidence that the Mary of Bethany and Mary Magdalene was the same person, so we have to stick with what we know.
We know that Mary of Bethany was extremely grateful to Jesus for resurrecting her brother Lazarus, for forgiving her sins (that were many), and for sacrificially working to save Israel from national ruin.
She believed Jesus was the Messiah. So she did something that came across to some as audacious and wasteful—she purchased an extravagant gift (that costs approximately a year’s salary) to pour on Jesus’ body.
Without question, what she did had a WOW factor! Suddenly the room screamed with the smell of extravagance and wealth.
“Some of those at the table were indignant. ‘Why waste such expensive perfume?’ they asked. ‘It could have been sold for a year's wages and the money given to the poor!’ So they scolded her harshly” (Mark 14:4-5, NLT).
John specifically identifies Judas as the grumbler.
“Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), complained, ‘This perfume was worth a year’s wages! Why wasn’t it sold and the money given to the poor?’ (He said this not because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief. He carried the money bag and would take what was in it.) (John 12:4-6, NLT).
The implication was that esus wasn’t worth this kind of money, yet Judas was about to “sell” Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.
Jesus’ response to Judas’ and the others who either chastised Mary publicly, or were rebuking her in their hearts was swift and to the point.
“Leave her alone. Why criticize her for doing such a good thing to me? You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want to. But you will not always have me. She has done what she could and has anointed my body for burial ahead of time. I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed” (Mark 14:6-9, NLT).
Judas must have been personally offended by Jesus’ statement because the very next verse says, "Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests to arrange to betray Jesus to them” (Mark 14:10, NLT).
There was no gratitude on Judas’s part. He was angry at Jesus and maybe thought that by turning him in he could influence him to be more aggressive.
What Judas did realize was that God’s kingdom was unlike any earthly kingdom he had ever known, and that his impatience with God had made him unfit to be part of it.
Simon Learns a Lesson
Simon witnessed this and secretly condemned Jesus for Mary’s public display of affection. He thought to himself, Jesus must not be a prophet because if he were he wouldn’t let this sinful woman touch
him.
Jesus knew what Simon was thinking and he addressed him, “Simon...I have something to say to you.”
“‘Go ahead, Teacher,’ Simon replied. Then Jesus told him this story: ‘A man loaned money to two people—500 pieces of silveri to one and 50 pieces to the other. But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?’ Simon answered, ‘I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt.’ ‘That’s right,’ Jesus said. Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, ‘Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume. I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have
been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.’ Then Jesus said to the woman, ‘Your sins are forgiven’” (Luke 7:41-48, NLT).
As much as I would like to think otherwise, I’m afraid if I had been there, I wouldn’t have sided with Judas and Simon. Until we are radically changed by God’s grace, it’s the way we earthlings think.
When I take a good look at myself I can’t help but acknowledge my faults and failures. I too am a “sinner” in need of the grace that Jesus came to give. And I am grateful that he hasn’t given up on me. But the question remains, am I extravagantly grateful—to the point that some may think I’m “crazy” and havecgone too far with my expressions of gratitude and praise?
May it be so!
Rich DuBose writes from Northern California | Image by Ted Erski from Pixabay.
On the web at: richdubose.com. All Rights Reserved © 2025. Join me on Blue Sky @spiritrenew.bsky.social.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.