Poured out in Worship
Mark 14:1-11 is a descriptive passage of motives, money, manipulation, murder plots, and magnificent worship. Who needs Hollywood for a moving storyline! This passage has many players and to understand how it applies to us, we need to look at the characters involved:
Chief Priests: They are looking for a sly way to arrest and kill Jesus.
Teachers of the Law: Also, looking to trap Jesus.
Simon the Leper: He is hosting Jesus in his home for a dinner party.
Mary (sister of Martha): She is free! Free to worship! Freely surrendered!
The Disciples: They are guests, observers, and critics.
Judas: The disciple who is a deceiver and out for his own gain through association with Christ. He is the treasurer, a hypocrite, and a betrayer.
Jesus: He is the guest of honor, the Savior, Messiah, and Lord. He is the object of Mary’s worship, the one the religious want murdered, and the Loving Lord Judas betrays.
Who would you be in the story? Obviously, the goal is to pray for an undivided, surrendered heart so that we can become like Mary. For that reason, we will put most of our focus on her. But before we focus on Mary, may I make the point that all the characters were worshipping something.
They were also all at the same worship service. The difference in their response is directly connected to the condition of their heart. Some spent their worship time analyzing and criticizing the other worshippers. Judas chose betrayal because he was worshipping power and money. Others were worshipping falsely with jealousy and sickeningly fake humility. Others were just too focused on themselves to focus on Jesus. I think if we look hard we might see ourselves from time to time in the different characters.
Now for the right kind of worship; what is the key? First, when we genuinely worship we don’t care who is around, how they evaluate or criticize us, or what their opinion is of us. We don’t do it for show or approval, but we give all we have to the God who loves us, created us, and desires more of us. Furthermore, we don’t even have to defend our actions to others. Jesus is our testimony. Look at what He said to the critics in Mary’s life in verse 6, “Leave her alone… why are you bothering her? What she has done to me is a beautiful thing!”
That brings us to some personal questions about our worship:
How often do we worship…
Mary got it. Each time we see her, she is pouring all of who she is out at the feet of Jesus. She is abandoned and not focused on the opinion of others or obsessing over their criticism. She is consumed by her Savior and Lord. I want to worship like that! How about you?
Chief Priests: They are looking for a sly way to arrest and kill Jesus.
Teachers of the Law: Also, looking to trap Jesus.
Simon the Leper: He is hosting Jesus in his home for a dinner party.
Mary (sister of Martha): She is free! Free to worship! Freely surrendered!
The Disciples: They are guests, observers, and critics.
Judas: The disciple who is a deceiver and out for his own gain through association with Christ. He is the treasurer, a hypocrite, and a betrayer.
Jesus: He is the guest of honor, the Savior, Messiah, and Lord. He is the object of Mary’s worship, the one the religious want murdered, and the Loving Lord Judas betrays.
Who would you be in the story? Obviously, the goal is to pray for an undivided, surrendered heart so that we can become like Mary. For that reason, we will put most of our focus on her. But before we focus on Mary, may I make the point that all the characters were worshipping something.
They were also all at the same worship service. The difference in their response is directly connected to the condition of their heart. Some spent their worship time analyzing and criticizing the other worshippers. Judas chose betrayal because he was worshipping power and money. Others were worshipping falsely with jealousy and sickeningly fake humility. Others were just too focused on themselves to focus on Jesus. I think if we look hard we might see ourselves from time to time in the different characters.
Now for the right kind of worship; what is the key? First, when we genuinely worship we don’t care who is around, how they evaluate or criticize us, or what their opinion is of us. We don’t do it for show or approval, but we give all we have to the God who loves us, created us, and desires more of us. Furthermore, we don’t even have to defend our actions to others. Jesus is our testimony. Look at what He said to the critics in Mary’s life in verse 6, “Leave her alone… why are you bothering her? What she has done to me is a beautiful thing!”
That brings us to some personal questions about our worship:
How often do we worship…
- for the wrong reason?
- in false humility?
- out of obligation?
- fearful to lift our hearts and hands?
- fearful to be consumed by only God?
- fearful of what those around us think?
- unaware of the Holy Spirit’s presence?
- flippantly with rarely a thought of our Savior’s great sacrifice and salvation?
Mary got it. Each time we see her, she is pouring all of who she is out at the feet of Jesus. She is abandoned and not focused on the opinion of others or obsessing over their criticism. She is consumed by her Savior and Lord. I want to worship like that! How about you?
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