A Sense of Abandon

What kind of legacy will you leave? What will you be remembered for?

In John 12, we find the story of a woman named Mary who left a remarkable legacy. In fact, Jesus was so impressed by what she did that He said, “Wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed” (Mark 14:9 NLT).

At this point things clearly were coming to a head in Jesus’ ministry. The name of Jesus was on everyone’s lips. But He had a number of confrontations with the religious leaders, and they wanted Him dead.

Jesus, of course, was aware of everything that was going on. He decided to spend an evening with friends, including His close friends Mary, Martha, and their newly resurrected brother, Lazarus.

It must have been a lively conversation that night, because not long before, Jesus had delivered the Olivet Discourse, also known as Matthew 24. But I think the most fascinating questions probably were about Lazarus.

As everyone took in this night, Mary was deeply moved to do something completely unexpected. John tells us, “Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance” (12:3 NLT).

This probably was a family heirloom. Yet she didn’t just sprinkle a few drops on Him; she poured out the whole bottle. Mary had a sense of abandon. She was going for it. Nothing was too good for her Lord.

Maybe that’s why the early church turned their world upside down. They had a sense of abandon for Christ. These people changed the world. And if we had that same sense of abandon today, I believe we could do the same.