Words to Grow On

June 19, 2006

Faithful

By

Misook Kim

Do you like dinner parties? When Jesus returned to Bethany, he was invited to the home of Martha and Mary. The two sisters prepared a sumptuous meal for Jesus. Martha served the meal and the brother sat and ate with Jesus as the head of the house.

However Mary makes the meal memorable by her act of devotion toward Jesus. She poured expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. Mary used the most valuable thing that she had for Jesus. The presentation of this gift symbolized the highest act of love.

An example in our lives of the kind of love that Mary shows toward Jesus may be what we feel toward our children. In my own life, I always try to give everything I have to my children. I give and give without expecting anything in return and without thinking of myself. Mary’s feeling could have been similar to this. She offered the best she had to Jesus with all of her heart.

Washing Jesus’ feet with her hair shows the highest honor Mary could give to her guest. It is a confession of love, a representation of her humble heart and a measure of her self-sacrifice to Jesus. If she could have poured perfume on his feet and washed them without the use of hair, this story might not be a great event. With enough money, the perfume would not be a sacrifice, but washing Jesus’ feet had nothing to do with money. It merely showed the depth of self-sacrifice in Mary’s heart.

Mary’s devotion showed that she worshiped Jesus. Jesus said “You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”(v.8) Mary recognized this important truth so she gave her all to Jesus.

The faithful devotion to Jesus that Mary displayed is also our responsibility as Christians. Jesus also wants our love, our humility and our self-sacrifice in our relationship to Him.

As we search our own lives, may we reflect on Mary’s faithful devotion to Jesus? May we seek to mirror this devotion in our own lives.