By Olubunmi Adebayo
*Today, we conclude our discussion on this topic that is asking from each of us “how much are we really worth?*
*To Mary Magdalene, Jesus was worth everything she ever had :*
*John 12: [3] Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.*
*[4]Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him,*
*[5]Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?*
*[6]This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.*
*[7]Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this.*
*In the book of the gospel of St Mark, the response of Jesus in the account above was narrated this way :*
*Mark 14:[8] She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.*
*[9] Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.*
*Please draw a critical lesson from the incident above : while Mary Magdalene brought a very expensive ointment to anoint Jesus, costing her so much, Judas Iscariot felt it was a total waste of resources.*
*Each of the two characters above : Mary Magdalene and Judas Iscariot showed clearly how much Jesus was worth to them.*
*Look at another story : He was an accused criminal. He was a prisoner. He was before then a slave, but the sitting King Pharaoh of the time, having listened to Joseph did the unthinkable when and where others couldn’t do anything, felt Joseph was good enough to become the Governor of the land of Egypt, such that King Pharaoh will only be greater than Joseph by the throne of Egypt.*
*In line with the stories above, can I ask you this? Have you bothered to sum together the totality of what you as an individual are worth : in money, materials, good-will, in things you have accomplished, exploits done, lives impacted, examples laid, sacrifices made, battles fought,won and precedents set thereby, things you have acquired for yourself and others? The list is almost endless.*
*Jesus asked His disciples what they, as His followers, thought of Him, and Peter answered and said :*
*[16]….. Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.*
*[17]And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.*
*In the same way that Jesus asked His disciples “who He really was to them?”, permit me to ask you : “what is your real self worth like?”*
*Painstakingly, try and go through the ledger of your life and you will be surprised how much you are indeed worth!*
*Self worth is a function of who is really looking at your value and for what?*
*People may be clapping for you and hailing you, and yet deep down in their hearts, you are not worth what you thought you really are.*
*It does not matter what you may be facing today, you must realize that you have come quite far: just consider the many opportunities you have had in life, several never had the privilege of half of that in their entire life time. Great things you have accomplished, several never come this far, people you have helped through and changed their lives thereby, and they have kept such memories intact.*
*The journey of life is like walking through a dark corridor, even as you keep going forward carrying your steps, you need to be conscious of your worth, as valued by others, and as valued by yourself.*
*Jesus told Judas Iscariot and others who cared to listen, that Mary Magdalene had not wasted her expensive ointment on Him at all, but she was doing something greater for a future assignment.*
*”I ask again, “how much are you really worth?”*
Top of the day to you 👍
©️ Olubunmi S Adebayo
