John 15:9-11
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”
When studying the bible, we are presented person after person who wrestles with their faith and falls off the path of righteousness while walking with the Lord. While this is a beautiful demonstration that God has the sovereignty to use us no matter the brokenness we experience, we are also given examples of undeniable, unshakeable faith. Let’s take a look at a woman who possessed such a pure heart for Jesus that she unequivocally knew the path to his feet. She never strayed from her child-like faith and reverence for him: Mary of Bethany.
The first time we see Mary is at a gathering in her family home. She is at the feet of Jesus soaking in his words. For context, this would have been noticeable and outside the norms for the time. Society would have expected Mary to be serving with her sister; she would not have been expected to be in the room with the men let alone worshipping and listening as they did. This would have been challenging to the gender roles and a very big no-no. However, we see a woman desperate for the teachings of Jesus; drinking in his words and allowing him to guide her. Here is a powerful depiction of a person who is redefining their identity. They are becoming so firmly established in their belonging to Christ that they have no regard for the perception of others. This faith is a quiet yet powerful faith that speaks volumes against what the world would have Mary doing. Mary becomes a representation of the devotion and attentiveness that we need as we walk with Jesus.
Her faith and devotion does not stop here; she demonstrates this faith again when she anoints Jesus’s feet with expensive oil, unbinds her hair (another social faux-pa), and brushes the oil with her hair. Mary, already having been fully established in her identity with Christ, brings her devotion full circle. She anoints Jesus as an act of love and reverence. She exhibits how seeming small mundane acts can hold profound meaning when done with the right motives.
So you may be thinking, “Great. What does this have to do with me?”
Let’s stop and evaluate our own walks with Jesus. Mary’s presence is known – she is at the feet of Jesus. Jesus is her reward; Jesus is the reason for her journey; the destination she seeks. How often is Jesus our destination? Or is Jesus too often a detour we take when we want a different reward? Jesus becomes a means to an end to get what we see as the destination. Our true path becomes overgrown as we fall off time and time again. We allow distractions of the world to deter our focus away from Christ. We replace our true reward for meaningless “things” – titles, money, cars, people’s admiration. Christ should always be our destination. Mary knew this and so must we.
God,
Grant me the devotion and attentiveness to you that I forget the world and see you as my destination. Let my heart rejoice in the ultimate reward that is you.
