A story is told about a young man with Downs Syndrome who worked at a local grocery store. He loved the Lord and regularly attended his local church. One Sunday he heard a message about serving others with the unique gifts God has given you.

He wondered what special gift God had blessed him with. He settled on the idea that since he loved biographies and collected quotes from famous people, he would type them up and share them. So, every day he would put a bunch of those papers in his pocket and head to work.

He would slip one in each grocery order that he bagged. Soon lines began to form at his checkout stand. People would wait a long time just to be challenged or encouraged by his latest quote. As the world might evaluate that young man, it might seem that he did not have a lot to offer society but notice how God really used him to bless others.

Serving others is the challenge for all believers!

In all four of the gospels there is a story about a woman who anoints Jesus with a very rare perfume she kept in an expensive alabaster jar. It probably represented her dowry or her entire inheritance or an entire year’s wages.  It was very valuable, but she wanted to use it to serve Jesus.

As she washed His feet with her tears, dried them with her hair and anointed Him with that precious perfume, the Lord was overwhelmed by her service. He says in Mark 14:9 “Truly I tell you, whenever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

It was an act of service that was a huge deal to Christ.

So, this week might be a great time for all of us to pause a bit and answer the question “What is in our alabaster jar?” What can we make available to the Lord? How can we serve Him with the gifts, opportunities and experiences that He has afforded us?

But one more thought. Since that dinner with Jesus was probably held during the last week of His life, I am wondering if the pungent aroma of the perfume lingered on His head. Could He smell it as He hung from the cross? Did the aroma help Him fondly remember that woman? Was He anxious to pay the penalty for her sin? Did her service bring Him some measure of comfort?

As we pour out our own alabaster jar in acts of kindness this week, I am confident the Lord will remember us too and maybe even mutter,” Well done, good and faithful servant….”