“Bill” stood in the airport sweating profusely in anticipation of his flight overseas. He joined our team going to share our faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior with those attending the ministry a local pastor and wife had planned for their community.
“Bill’s” decision to go cost him cash for the trip, comfort and convenience. He was neither a teacher nor an evangelist, he had never been out of the country, and he was leaving family and work behind. “Bill” offered expensive worship as sisters Martha and Mary did in their response to Jesus’ raising their brother Lazarus from the dead (John 11:28-44).
A few days before His crucifixion at a supper in Jesus’ honor, Martha was serving in the way Jesus exemplified and expects from His followers (Mark 10:45; John 13:14-15). Mary joined Martha in modeling expensive worship.
“Mary then took a pound (A “pound” in ancient Rome was 12 ounces) of very costly perfume…and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair…” (John 12:3). Mark’s gospel tells us that Mary “broke the vial.” She used all of this perfume (worth a year’s wages) to anoint Jesus. Mary’s was a complete, costly, and choice offering to the Lord with which He was very pleased.
That Mary “wiped His feet with her hair” was a gesture considered indecent at best and immoral at worst. By humbly performing a slave’s task, risking personal shame and financial loss, her expensive worship revealed her deep devotion to and honor for the Lord.
There are numerous accounts of someone witnessing Mother Teresa of Calcutta caring for the poor and declaring, “I wouldn’t do that for a million dollars.” Mother Teresa supposedly replied with a wry smile, “Neither would I.” She wasn’t there for love of money but love for Jesus.
The highest motivation for expensive worship for Martha, Mary, “Bill,” Mother Teresa, or for any follower of Jesus is a genuine realization of Christ’s Identity as Savior and a personal reception of His forgiving mercy.
Christ served by sacrificing His life so that all who believe in Him will be forgiven, given His righteousness, resourced by the Spirit to live rightly, and rewarded with eternal glory in Heaven. Every Christ follower’s gratitude for His gracious gift of salvation necessarily spills over into expensive worship for who He is and what He has done.
“The Love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all…that we should no longer live for ourselves, but for Him who died and rose again on our behalf” (2 Corinthians 5:14-15).
Recipients of the Lord’s favor (forgiveness) respond by giving Him honor (expensive worship).