A Mary Heart

Then six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom he had raised from the dead. There they made Him supper, and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, who would betray Him, said, "Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denaril and given to the poor?" This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it. But Jesus said, "Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always." John 12:1-8 NKJV

Ashley and I are on week ten of our Bible study - Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World. I am SUCH a Martha and pretty open about it...but this study has opened my eyes to what a humble woman Mary was and her deep gratitude and love for Jesus. I've been struggling for the past couple of weeks ready for this study to end, move onto a new one. I'm even guilty of the comment, "I mean really, how thin can you stretch the story about Mary and Martha." This study isn't just about Mary and Martha - it is about what they learned from each other, and mainly from Jesus, and how their changes and acts of gratitude showed Jesus their love that only He at times understood. I find Mary's act of breaking the jar of expensive oil and washing Jesus feet with her hair absolutely beautiful.

Not until tonight did I realize how much this jar of oil really was worth, not just monetarily, but also in the grand scheme of Mary's future. It is believed by one author that Mary, Martha, and Lazarus's' parents died several years before the friendship was made between the siblings and Jesus. At this time in history it was common for young women to be part of arranged marriages, although they were given some say in the matter. With no parents to arrange a marriage and living with her brother in her sister's home it would be understood that a marriage had been arranged for none of this children before the parents passing. This entire bottle of oil represented everything that Mary had, everything that she was, and everything she hoped to be...and she anointed her saviors feet with it and washed them with her hair! She gave EVERYTHING she had to Him - EVERYTHING. She was looked down upon by the money grubbing Judas for waisting such an expensive bottle of oil - but this simply beautiful act of kindness was one that is still taught about today (as Jesus said it would be).

How often do we hold onto material things? THINGS that make us happy, PEOPLE that make us happy, personal hopes and dreams that we THINK will make us happy? When in all reality - don't we just need HIM...that should be all we need. For weeks I've felt the question tugging at my heart - Allison, how much are you willing to sacrifice. Honestly, I still don't know the answer to that, but after this weeks study I feel a small step closer to finding it.