The invitation and the gift

Those of you who have been following closely may be aware that I have been sitting with the gospel of John lately. I love this gospel. I love the way John talks about Jesus. The way he portrays him, what he shows, the interactions that Jesus has with people. It seems to me that John lingers over these in a way that is different from the other gospels. And Jesus’ relationship with Mary and Martha, but with Mary, in particular, is developed in this gospel. The famous interaction between the sisters and Jesus is recorded in Luke 10:38-42, and John, I suppose, being fully aware of that fact does not recount that again. Instead, he picks up their story and develops it further.

Two short verses, in particular, have sat with me over the past week. The first is John 11: 28 when Martha comes to Mary and says to her,

“the Teacher is here and is calling for you.”

What a beautiful verse. One I want to write on my heart and burn in my memory. I find this no less significant when taken in the context of what has taken place. Mary is in a dark and dreadful place. Her brother has died, her grief and anguish are extreme. But she hears that Jesus is calling her and she gets up. She goes to him. Mary kneels at his feet, and she tells him the cry of her heart. Jesus responds in two ways. His first response is grief – we witness the depth of his love for her, for her brother and her sister. And his second response is to raise her brother to life. Her grief is replaced by joy.

The second verse is shortly after the raising of Lazarus, in John 12:3 we read,

“Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.”

This, to me, is the most beautiful picture of worship. Was Mary worried about what people would think? She must have been, she must have fully aware of what would be said, what would be thought. But Mary did not let that stop her. Instead, she took to the most valuable thing she could find to pour over Jesus’ feet. And her offering filled the house with the fragrance of that perfume.

I long for my life to be like hers. That I would always hear the invitation of Jesus. That I would always respond by coming to him and kneeling at his feet. No matter what circumstances I find myself in. Even if he calls me in the depths of my grief, in the time of greatest suffering, in my deepest anguish. May I have ears to hear him, always.

And I long to worship him like Mary. I long for my life to be lived as an offering poured out over Jesus’ feet. That I would be willing to pay any price. To look foolish. For people to wonder what I am doing. May I, may we, be people with the courage to do just that.

Jesus, you are kind beyond measure. May we always hear your invitation to come and be with you. Help us to take the time to sit at your feet. To pour out our heart to you. Give us ears to hear and eyes to see. And help us to have the courage to worship you with all that we are. To be willing to give that which is most precious to us to you in our worship. Amen

So how about you? Can you hear Jesus calling you to come to him? Do you need to sit at his feet? How can you worship him with your life?

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