Our worship is right when we are right with God.

与上帝有良好的关系，才能真诚地敬拜。

Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. John 12:3

马利亚就拿着一斤极贵的真哪哒香膏抹耶稣的脚，又用自己头发去擦，屋里就满了膏的香气。-约翰福音12章3节

Shortly before Jesus was crucified, a woman named Mary poured a bottle of expensive perfume on His feet. Then, in what may have been an even more daring act, she wiped His feet with her hair (John 12:3). Not only did Mary sacrifice what may have been her life’s savings, she also sacrificed her reputation. In first-century Middle Eastern culture, respectable women never let down their hair in public. But true worship is not concerned about what others think of us (2 Sam. 6:21–22). To worship Jesus, Mary was willing to be thought of as immodest, perhaps even immoral.

在耶稣被钉十架之前，一位叫马利亚的女子用极贵的香膏抹耶稣的脚。接下来，她又作了一个更大胆的动作，用自己的头发去擦耶稣的脚（约翰福音12章3节）。马利亚不仅献上她毕生的积蓄，还牺牲了她的名声。在第一世纪的中东文化中，一个端庄的女子绝不会在公众场合显露出她的头发。但出于真诚的敬拜，就不会在乎别人怎么看待（撒母耳记下6章21-22节） 。为了敬拜耶稣，马利亚甘愿被视为不端庄，甚至是伤风败俗。

Some of us may feel pressured to be perfect when we go to church so that people will think well of us. Metaphorically speaking, we work hard to make sure we have every hair in place. But a healthy church is a place where we can let down our hair and not hide our flaws behind a fa?ade of perfection. In church, we should be able to reveal our weaknesses to find strength rather than conceal our faults to appear strong.

有些人来到教会可能会觉得有些压力，因为他们觉得自己必须完美，才能给别人留下好印象。或许我们也会费尽心思，为的是维持良好的形象。但一个健康的教会，应容许我们能“显露我们的头发”，而不是为了维持完美形象而隐藏缺点。在教会中，我们应该能够显露自己的软弱，进而找寻帮助，而非掩饰我们的缺点假装坚强。

Worship doesn’t involve behaving as if nothing is wrong; it’s making sure everything is right—right with God and with one another. When our greatest fear is letting down our hair, perhaps our greatest sin is keeping it up. 

真诚的敬拜不是要你表现得很完美，而是要你确保与上帝和他人有良好的关系。若我们最大的恐惧是怕显出自己的软弱，那我们最大的罪可能就是将这软弱给隐匿起来。

Search me, God, and know my heart. . . . 

See if there is any offensive way in me and 

lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23–24.

上帝啊，求祢鉴察我，知道我的心思；
试炼我，知道我的意念，看在我里面有什么恶行没有，
引导我走永生的道路。—诗篇139篇23-24节

John 12:1-8New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Anointed at Bethany

12 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a pint[a]of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him,objected, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” 6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

7 “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

约翰福音 12:1-8Chinese Union Version Modern Punctuation (Simplified) (CUVMPS)

马利亚用香膏抹主

12 逾越节前六日，耶稣来到伯大尼，就是他叫拉撒路从死里复活之处。 2 有人在那里给耶稣预备筵席，马大伺候，拉撒路也在那同耶稣坐席的人中。 3 马利亚就拿着一斤极贵的真哪哒香膏，抹耶稣的脚，又用自己的头发去擦，屋里就满了膏的香气。 4 有一个门徒，就是那将要卖耶稣的加略人犹大， 5 说：“这香膏为什么不卖三十两银子周济穷人呢？” 6 他说这话，并不是挂念穷人，乃因他是个贼，又带着钱囊，常取其中所存的。 7 耶稣说：“由她吧！她是为我安葬之日存留的。 8 因为常有穷人和你们同在，只是你们不常有我。”

整理：于姊妹