Matthew 26:7-13 What Fragrance Are You Leaving? - Devotional Scripture

In Matthew 26, a woman had an impulse to do a good deed. She poured a year’s worth of salary of perfume on Jesus’ head. The disciples didn’t understand why she would waste so much money to do this act of kindness.

But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, ‘Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me.  For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always.   For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial.   Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.’   Matthew 26:10-13

This act of kindness that she did could have only been done at this one time in history.  If she did not act on this impulse to anoint Jesus with perfume, this opportunity may have never come again. She acted on divine inspiration and because of that she will always be remembered. The fragrance of a lovely deed lasts forever.

There have been many occasions that I get an impulse to do an act of kindness and I talk myself out of it. Lately, God has revealed to me that if I have an impulse to do a good deed I should assume that it is from Him and do the act of kindness. I have received much joy in acting on these impulses. The old adage is true;

J-esus

O-thers

Y-ou

equals JOY.

We will never know what a simple act of kindness can mean to someone until we follow through with our God-inspired impulses to do good deeds. At this point in Jesus’ story his life was surrounded by betrayal and tragedy. In the midst of all of this, this woman is an oasis of light in a darkening world leaving the fragrance of a lovely deed as she pours the alabaster flask on His head.

We have the opportunity to be an oasis of light to those around us but if we don’t act on these God-given impulses that chance may never come again. What fragrance are you leaving behind in your relationships? Let’s be like the woman in this story and not miss opportunities to be a lovely fragrance to those around us.