GRATITUDE: HUMBLE HEART OF WORSHIP
Susan Murray
Today’s Scripture: “Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance.” John 12:3, NLT
Theme: Worship costs us our pride.
WHAT IS WORSHIP?
We use the word “worship” so often that I think it’s possible to lose its meaning. We can tend to think that worship is just about the emotions we experience, especially during the music during a church service. Music that has sound, biblical lyrics can and should evoke strong emotions, but true worship is more than emotion. It involves our whole beings, including our minds and wills. Jesus said in John 4:24 that we are to worship in truth. We do this by using our minds to think deeply about the truths of Scripture. Paul tells us in Romans 12:1 that surrendering our wills to God is our “spiritual act of worship.” This is true humility. And the Psalms are filled with emotional expressions of love for God.
MARY’S WORSHIP
We are introduced to Mary of Bethany in Luke 10 where she has chosen to sit at Jesus’ feet to learn from Him—a humble disciple’s posture. It was unheard of in those days for women to be allowed to learn and become disciples of religious leaders. She was welcomed by Jesus, and she enjoyed His presence and His words.
Next, we see her in John 11 when she is mourning the death of her brother, Lazarus. She witnesses Jesus, sharing in her grief with tears of His own, and then miraculously raising Lazarus from the dead. Her heart must have been filled with overwhelming gratitude.
That gratitude then expresses itself in John chapter 12 as we see Mary break open a bottle of perfume. This was not just any perfume, but expensive perfume, worth 300 denarii (according to Judas), which was at that time about a year’s wages for basic manual labor. It has an estimated equivalent value today of anywhere between $15,000 and $60,000. Mary washed Jesus’ feet with the perfume, then used her hair to wipe them.
It looks odd to us in our culture but back then, people would have been utterly shocked. She took the position of a humble servant and that of the lowest household slave. Washing people’s feet would never be done by an important person in the household! It would have been seen as humiliating and beneath them. Yet see her willing humility expressed such devotion. She loved Jesus! Her actions demonstrate how much she valued Him. She loved Him more than her pride in what was likely the most expensive items he owned. She loved Him more than what anyone thought of her.
Make It Personal: Do you feel an emotional spirit of worship only in church while singing songs? Maybe it’s just the nice melody and drum beat that moves you. Does your mind fill with thoughts of Jesus and what He did for you, swelling into grateful worship during the week? Are you changed by being with Jesus, thereby loving Him more than anything or anyone else, affecting your decisions about your money, your time, and your priorities? What do you place ultimate value on? That is what you will worship,bend your knee to, and follow.
You will find yourself coming up short, because our worship is never perfect. Don’t make it about performance or getting it just right. True worship comes from a heart that has spent time with Jesus, just like Mary of Bethany. It will come. Think, sing, submit! Ponder Jesus and how He valued your life over His own, dying for people like you and like me, sinners deserving God’s judgement. Yet He took that judgement on Himself. Consider this sacrifice until your whole being soars in grateful worship. Your worship will lead to greater obedience, which will in turn further and deepen your acts of worship.
Pray: God in heaven, You are Maker of all things and You hold all things together. You are worthy of our worship; hallowed be Your name. Forgive us for valuing and worshiping other things more than You, such as money, possessions, approval, success, and _______ (fill in the blank as the Holy Spirit leads you). You love me. You love me. You love me! I am Yours because of Jesus. I love You. I love You. I love You. Fill me with Your truth and grace so that I may worship You even more. Amen
Read: Romans 12:1-2; John 12: 1-7; Psalm 95:1-5, 63:1-4
Memory Verse of the Week: “Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name.” Hebrews 13:15, NLT