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“Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard and  anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair.  The house was filled “with the fragrance of the perfume.” (John 12:3, ESV)

“The preacher keeps saying get involved, live out your faith. I want to. I don’t know what to do.   I’m scared.  What if I do something wrong?  What if I join a group and I don’t fit in? I’m new to this Christian stuff. I’ve been hurt before. What will people say?”

Ever missed out on opportunities to serve for fear of what others will think?

While God’s Word instructs us to live in community with other believers; there will be times that we will be called to make decisions that will require us to ignore the opinions of others. Growing in our faith requires obedience. In turn, requiring us to move, in spite of fear of judgement or criticism that may sometimes grip us.

Mary is an excellent example of this lesson.

When a guest entered a Jewish home, it was customary for their feet to be washed and the guest’s head anointed with a dab of oil or perfume. However, the foot washing was typically performed by the lowest servant in the household.  That wasn’t Mary, but she humbled herself in front of others anyway.  She poured out a pound of ointment on his feet.  Worth roughly a years’ wage for the average working man at that time. We don’t know if this was a precious heirloom passed down to her or if she had worked hard to save up for it.  Either way, the cost (the sacrifice) didn’t stop her.  She proceeded to wipe his feet with her hair. Which meant she had to let her hair down in public.  Something a Jewish woman would rarely do – it was a sign of loose morals.

Mary didn’t stop to calculate public reaction.  Her heart went out to the Lord, and she expressed her feelings for Jesus in this beautiful and touching act. Jesus had raised her brother from the dead.  Her heart overflowed with gratitude for this man.

She ignored the opinions of others and acted out of her love and devotion for her Lord.

Our service for the Kingdom should do the same – flow out of our love for Jesus.

Yes, others complained about her extravagant act, but Jesus spoke up for her. “Let her alone.”

Is the Holy Spirit tugging at you to do something to show God’s love to others, but you’re scared to respond?

Jesus will never criticize us for being extreme in our love and service to Him.  His opinion is the only one that matters.

“Father help us to not worry what others think of us as we serve you.  Teach us to serve from a heart overwhelmed by love for all you’ve done for us.”

For His Glory

Laura Holmes (www.ephraimministries.org)
TRBC Women’s Life