ZPCBlog

About the author: Lisa Cox is a retired school counselor who first accepted Jesus as a child. She has loved serving on Great Banquet teams and enjoys spending time with family and friends—especially her three sons and their growing families. Lisa and her husband Kyle enjoy walking their Bernese Mountain dog, Moby. She can often be found reading, writing, or boxing with Rock Steady Boxing, an organization that helps people fight Parkinson’s disease.

Holy Spirit, teach me what you want me to learn from this passage. Amen

Scripture

Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.” Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.
John 12:1-11 NIV

Devotional

When I first read these verses, the words “with abandon” came to mind. Not because those words reflect me at this time in my life—I tend to worry a lot—but because it is how I see Mary described in this passage and how I aspire to live.

If you abandon something, you let it go. So when you describe someone as acting “with abandon,” it means they have let go of restrictions, worries, or inhibitions. It is freeing in a positive way.

Mary acted with abandon when she poured the perfume on Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair. Her whole focus was Jesus—worshipping Him, serving Him, sacrificing for Him—without worrying about what others thought or how it might affect her. The perfume Mary poured out was worth nearly a year’s wages. She didn’t measure it carefully or save some for later. She simply poured it out.

Sometimes people use the phrase “with reckless abandon.” That is how Judas seemed to interpret Mary’s actions. He saw them as reckless and wasteful, which is why he reprimanded her.

Scripture makes clear that his motives were selfish. It tells us he kept the money bag and helped himself to what was in it.

So what am I to learn from this?

I need to ask myself:
Do I live and worship like Mary—or more like Judas?
Do I focus on Jesus and listen to Him when I make decisions in my life, like Mary when she decided to pour everything into worshipping Jesus? Or is the way I live more about serving my own interests— like Judas?
Am I looking for ways to humbly serve others each day, like Mary when she chose to wipe Jesus’ feet? Or do I first calculate how it will affect my bank account and my time?
Do I serve and worship without caring about my own reputation, or do I because of pride worry more about how I look to others?

Mary lived fully devoted to Jesus, unconcerned with what others thought.

I want to live with that same freedom.

Prayer

Lord, help me to begin each morning offering my all to You with devotion like Mary. Then help me step into each day looking for ways to serve others as Mary served You, selflessly. May my focus be serving others, for in that way I will be serving You.
Help me live my life for You—with abandon.
Amen

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