When Worship Looks Like Waste
When Worship Looks Like Waste: Understanding Extravagant Generosity
Have you ever witnessed someone's generosity and thought, "That's just too much"? Maybe it was an overwhelming Thanksgiving feast, an abundance of Christmas presents, or a gift that left you feeling guilty about receiving it. This feeling of being overwhelmed by someone else's giving is more common than we might think, especially when it comes to spiritual generosity.
Why Extravagant Giving Makes People Uncomfortable
Extravagant generosity is always surprising to those who don't understand it. It can even be offensive to the world we live in. When Christians give extravagantly to their church, missions, or spiritual causes, the outside world often responds with criticism: "What a waste! You could have done so much more with that money for social needs."
This tension between spiritual giving and social giving isn't new. It's been around since the time of Jesus, and we see it perfectly illustrated in Mark chapter 14.
The Woman with the Alabaster Flask
A Gift Worth $60,000
In Mark 14:3, we encounter a woman who brings an alabaster flask of pure spikenard to Jesus while he's dining at Simon the Leper's house in Bethany. This wasn't just any perfume - it was worth about 300 denarii, equivalent to roughly $60,000 in today's money. This was likely a precious family heirloom, possibly her inheritance, made from pure spikenard imported from India, 3,000 miles away.
No Reverse, No Reserve, No Regret
What makes this woman's gift so remarkable isn't just its value, but how she gave it. The text tells us she "broke the flask and poured it over his head." By breaking the container, she made a powerful statement: there was no turning back. She couldn't change her mind or save some for later. She was all in.
This wasn't a careful, calculated 10% gift. She drenched Jesus with the entire contents, demonstrating complete commitment without regret. Her trust was placed entirely in Jesus, not in what was in that flask.
Where Does Extravagant Generosity Come From?
Love Produces Generosity
The woman didn't give because Jesus commanded it or because she felt guilty. She gave out of extravagant love for Jesus. As theologian William Barclay beautifully expressed: "If love is true, there must always be a certain extravagance in it. Love does not nicely calculate the less or the more. There is a recklessness in love which refuses to count the cost."
This is why we spend more on gifts for people we love than on white elephant exchanges with coworkers. Love naturally flows into generous giving.
When Generosity Looks Like Waste
The Disciples' Objection
The response to the woman's gift was swift and harsh. The disciples became indignant, saying among themselves: "Why was the ointment wasted like that? This ointment could have been sold for more than 300 denarii and given to the poor" (Mark 14:4-5). They then scolded her publicly.
The Math of Criticism
The disciples had done their calculations. Earlier in Mark 6, they learned it would cost 200 denarii to feed 5,000 people. This woman had just "wasted" 300 denarii on Jesus - enough to feed 7,500 people! From their perspective, her worship was wasteful when it could have met such pressing social needs.
Hidden Motivations
John's Gospel reveals that Judas led this charge of criticism, not out of concern for the poor, but because he was greedy and often helped himself to the ministry's money. The other disciples followed his lead, perhaps hiding their own guilt about not being capable of such sacrificial giving.
This reveals a common truth: people who complain the most are usually doing the least, while those doing the most complain the least.
Jesus Defends Extravagant Worship
Restoring Dignity
Jesus immediately defended the woman: "Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me" (Mark 14:6). Where the disciples saw waste, Jesus saw beauty. He restored her dignity with three powerful words: "She did what she could."
Jesus never compares giving. He doesn't expect everyone to give the same amount or in the same way. He simply calls us to give what we can from hearts of love.
Providing Perspective
Jesus reminded the disciples that caring for the poor is a continual calling - "You always have the poor with you" - but this moment with him was unique and would never come again. The mission of God includes both social and spiritual needs. Sometimes spiritual opportunities arise that will never come again, and we must be ready to respond.
Promising Lasting Impact
Most remarkably, Jesus declared: "Wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her" (Mark 14:9). Her gift wasn't just for that moment - it was preparing Jesus for burial and advancing the gospel message that would impact generations.
Why Spiritual Giving Matters
Different Types of Impact
Giving to social needs provides immediate, measurable results - we can count the meals served or people housed. But giving to spiritual needs often produces fruit that grows unseen over time, sometimes beyond our lifetime.
The woman could have fed 7,500 people that day, but instead, her gift became part of the gospel story that has fed millions of souls across centuries. One blesses the moment; the other shapes eternity.
Both Are Important
This doesn't mean we should ignore social needs. Churches should care for the hungry, homeless, and imprisoned in their communities. But we should also give toward things that outlast us - church planting, missions, gospel advancement, and spiritual ministries that will impact eternity.
Jesus' Ultimate Extravagant Gift
Just days after this woman's example, Jesus faced his own moment of counting the cost. In the Garden of Gethsemane, he essentially asked his Father: "Is it too much to give?" The world would have told him not to sacrifice his life for ungrateful people.
But Jesus chose to be broken and poured out, making his own statement of no reverse, no reserve, no regret. His extravagant generosity on the cross provides our salvation and serves as the ultimate example of sacrificial giving.
Life Application
As you plan your finances and budget for the future, ask yourself one additional question: "Am I also planning to give toward something that will last forever?" Consider budgeting not just for your immediate needs and wants, but for gospel advancement, church ministries, and spiritual causes that will outlast your lifetime.
When the world tells you that giving to spiritual causes is "too much" or "wasteful," remember this woman's example and Jesus' defense of her worship. Extravagant generosity flowing from extravagant love is never waste in God's eyes - it's beautiful.
Questions for Reflection:
What is motivating my giving - love for Jesus or obligation and guilt?
Am I giving only to causes where I can see immediate results, or am I also investing in eternal impact?
How can I move from calculated giving to generous worship in my financial stewardship?
What would "no reverse, no reserve, no regret" generosity look like in my life?
