A life that points to Christ
Mary of Bethany
From Mary of Bethany we learn to choose the one thing needful by sitting at Jesus' feet, to worship Him with extravagant, unembarrassed love, and to bring our grief honestly to Him. Her life teaches devotion that treasures Christ above all, and it points to the Savior worthy of our costliest love.
“But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”Luke 10:42
“And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.”Luke 10:39
“Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.”John 12:3
“Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.”John 11:32
Their story, honestly
Mary of Bethany appears three times, and each time she is at Jesus' feet. First she sits at His feet listening to His word while her sister Martha serves, and Jesus says she has chosen the good part. Then, when her brother Lazarus dies, she falls at Jesus' feet weeping, and Jesus is so moved that He weeps with her before raising Lazarus. Finally, at a dinner shortly before His death, she takes a pound of very costly ointment and anoints Jesus, filling the house with the fragrance, and when others call it waste, Jesus defends her, saying she has done it for His burial and her act will be told wherever the gospel is preached.
What their life teaches us
First, Mary teaches that the highest priority is to be with Jesus; while others bustled, she chose to listen at His feet, and He commended it as the good part that would not be taken from her. Second, she teaches worship that is extravagant and unashamed; she poured out something precious on Jesus and did not care that others thought it wasteful, because He was worth it. Third, she teaches honest grief that runs to Jesus; in sorrow she fell at His feet, and He met her tears with His own. Mary's whole posture, again and again at the feet of Jesus, is a picture of a heart that has found its treasure.
How their life points to Christ
Mary poured out costly perfume on Jesus, and He received it as an anointing for His burial, for He was about to pour out something far more costly, His own life, for her and for us. Her extravagant love answers His even greater love. Jesus is worthy of our most lavish devotion because He gave everything for us, and Mary shows what it looks like to hold nothing back. The one who sat at His feet to learn, wept at His feet in grief, and anointed His feet in worship points to the Christ who is worth our whole heart.
Questions people ask
Why did Jesus say Mary chose the good part?
Because she prioritized being with Him and listening to His word over the many distractions of serving. Jesus said this good part would not be taken from her. It teaches that time at Jesus' feet, attentive to Him, is the one thing that matters most and lasts.
Why did Mary anoint Jesus with expensive perfume?
Out of extravagant love and worship. When others called it waste, Jesus defended her, saying she had prepared Him for burial and that her act would be remembered wherever the gospel is told. She teaches that Jesus is worthy of our costliest, most unembarrassed devotion.