Dave spoke this morning from John 12:1-8 on the subject of ‘True Worship’. In this familiar account (just before Jesus went to Jerusalem to be crucified), we see three main protagonists: Jesus, Mary, and Judas. Jesus is once again at the home of Lazarus, Mary and Martha (having raised Lazarus from the dead), and Mary’s response is to pour out an expensive jar of perfume on His feet, an action which elicits praise from Jesus and scorn from Judas. Our reactions matter enormously.
Mary was prepared to give everything she had to Jesus. The custom at that time was to anoint the dead with expensive oils, and in pouring out the nard, Mary was committing everything she was and had to Jesus. In wiping His feet with her hair (symbol of her beauty and femininity), she was giving everything she was to Him. Whether this was out of gratitude because He had raised her brother or to symbolise His kingship or simply as an act of worship, we don’t know, but we see in Mary extravagance that gave everything to her Lord and Master.
Judas, despite being one of the Twelve and a trusted member of Jesus’s inner circle, clearly did not understand spiritual principles and was motivated by material lust. He needed the comfort of money, and John is trenchant in exposing his mixed motives (despite the veneer of care for the poor which his words had implied.) He had no understanding of sacrificial worship.
Jesus accepted Mary’s offering and realised this anointing foreshadowed His own death. He saw her heart of love and worship and accepted these, whilst He rebuked Judas for his mean-spirited attitude.
Our attitudes are crucial. Do we serve Jesus merely out of duty, doing only what we ‘have’ to do, grudgingly and without transformation in our inner beings? Or do we worship lavishly, pray frequently, come to God’s house with expectation and respond promptly to all He asks of us? Our attitudes are reflected in all our lives; we witness through our deeds as well as through our words.
Mary is remembered still for her devotion and her love for Jesus, whilst Judas is remembered primarily as a traitor. We need to ponder carefully how we will be remembered. True worship is always valued by God.
