Mary of Bethany

"People who do not know the Lord ask why in the world we waste our lives as missionaries. The forget they too are expending their lives and when the bubble has burst they will have nothing of eternal significance to show for the years they have wasted." -Nate Saint, one of four missionaries killed in Ecuador by the tribe they were witnessing to.

whoa. everyone is wasting their lives on something. whether it be money, or fame, or skill, or vocation, or whatever. i ask my self, what am i wasting my life on? will it resonate in eternity? will what i do with my life, what i spend my gifts and talents on, will it be worth anything when i face Jesus? will i come to him empty handed.

There was once a woman. she was called Mary of Bethany, and she sat at the feet of Jesus, listening to what He was saying. in fact every time that Mary is mentioned in Scripture, she is at the feet of Jesus.

But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"
⁴¹"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, ⁴²but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will never be taken away from her." Luke 10:40-42

Never means never. when Jesus says never, that means never in all eternity will this be taken from her. but what is this that she has chosen? Devotion. Devotion to Jesus. Spending her time sitting at his feet learning the heart of the God-Man from His own mouth.

When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."³³When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. ³⁴"Where have you laid him?" he asked. "Come and see, Lord," they replied.³⁵Jesus wept. John11:32-35

Jesus was deeply moved when he saw Mary weeping. It wasn't until he saw that Mary was weeping that He wept. I mean why would he weep over Lazarus when He knew He was going to raise the man from the dead. on the contrary, it is my interpretation that Jesus wept because of the agony that a heart like Mary's was going through. When a heart that is so utterly devoted to Him weeps, He cannot help but weep. Jesus had a real, emotional, response to Mary's tears, and i believe that God does the same with any heart that is so devoted to Him. and he moves. when those wholly devoted to Him cry out for Justice, he will come, and bring it swiftly.

Another testament to the devotion of Mary of Bethany was the fact that Jesus was continually drawn back to Bethany where Mary lived. three times it is recorded in scripture, once six days before his death, Jesus goes back to Bethany, to a heart so utterly devoted to Him. it is my belief that He is, in a way, drawn back to the heart of devotion, and wanted to spend as much time with that heart as he possibly could, even in his human form.

Then Mary does something that blows everyone's mind, and shows her complete devotion to Jesus.

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.⁴But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, ⁵"Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages."... ... ⁷"Leave her alone," Jesus replied. " It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. ⁸You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me." John 12:3-8

Mary knew. She understood that Jesus was going to die. No one else understood that Jesus was going to die, but because Mary sat at the feet of Jesus, and listen to what he said, she already knew. and she acted. she gave it all, a years wages, now what would be $45,000. and that was all she had. her dowry. her inheritance. she gave it to Jesus.

Beloved, In no way is any of this required of us. We can get into heaven without spending our lives searching after God. and yet, because of His great Love for us, our Father wishes all of us, to be so devoted to this higher calling. He wants to reveal Himself to us in the same way that He could to Mary of Bethany. He desires to untie our earthly bonds, and break the yokes of oppression in our lives, so that we may waste our life at His feet in devotion to Him, and experience the fullness of God. for that is what we are created to do.

So, Father, give me the heart of Mary of Bethany. let me waste my life to search you out. in devotion, giving it all, in complete obedience to You, Jesus, sitting at Your feet in prayer and fasting. i want my life to be worth something to You. i want that heart.

inspired by Brian Kim "Mary of Bethany"