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The Scripture is full of examples of Godly people who entered into the promises of God. When you consider the entire volume of human history there are a relatively small number of individuals who are mentioned in the Bible. In light of this it is important that we consider those who are mentioned and highlighted in Scripture. We should take special notice of the individuals to whom the Lord draws special attention. Mary of Bethany, the sister of Lazarus and Martha is one of these unusual figures. As I began to meditate upon the truths regarding the story of her devotion I literally sensed the presence of God begin to awaken my heart in a brand new way. I pray that as you read your heart would begin to soar with Him. The story of Mary of Bethany is recorded in 3 of the 4 gospel accounts; Matthew 26, John 12 and Mark 14. For our purposes we will primarily consider the passage from Mark.

Mar 14:3-9 And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head. 4 But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, “Why was this fragrant oil wasted? 5 “For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they criticized her sharply. 6 But Jesus said, “Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me. 7 “For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always. 8 “She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial. 9 “Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”

The Spikenard

The Bible tells us that the oil was spikenard. Spikenard literally means unadulterated, unmixed and genuine nard. The fact that she poured pure perfume upon Jesus speaks of the purity and beauty of devotion that was flowing from her heart to His. John 12:3 declares that the aroma of the fragrance “filled the whole house.” When worship and devotion is offered as Mary offered, with purity and beauty, it will literally affect and change the atmosphere in the place it is offered. This is the substance of true worship.

Costly Devotion

The value of the ointment was approximately 300 denarii’s which literally means three hundred day’s wages. This is equivalent to a year’s salary. If you consider how much this amount would equate to in modern terms in America today it would be approximately $25,000. This is an extreme cost for one act of worship.

The Mary of Bethany style of radical devotion is costly, yet the cost is unnoticed by the worshipper when it is offered from a heart that has been anesthetized in the experience of His love. There is literally a complete intoxication that is experienced when we intimately encountering Jesus. The depth of knowing Him has a completely mesmerizing effect upon the human heart. When you truly come to know Him as Mary did, your heart is captured and captivated in an absolute sense. You become fully overwhelmed with the God-Man, Jesus. In this experience of consuming love nothing is a sacrifice. NOTHING is considered a sacrifice. You simply desire to give to Him. The motivation to give is not in order to earn something from Him. The motivation is desire; because you have received so much from Him, you must give back to this Beautiful Man. You become so thoroughly whelmed, as Mary was, that you want to spend anything and everything you can upon Him.

She poured her worship upon Him in an answer to the utter fascination of her heart. Her absolute enrapturement brought her to a place where she must give a radical expression of worship to her king and bridegroom. It was never a matter of cost; it was a matter of a heart that was completely melted in passionate love toward the One who is Love itself.

Extravagance Draws Criticism

Her extravagance caused the “well instructed” to criticize. They even called it a waste. Matthew 26:8 states that the disciples were indignant with her act of love. It was not the Pharisees that had a problem with her lavishness; it was those who were actually closest to the Lord. The lesson to be learned here is that no matter our position in our relationship to Jesus, it is possible for our hearts to grow cold and accustomed to Him. If this happens we will find ourselves criticizing, just as the disciples did, those who have a fresh touch and experience in the love of God.

Intoxication of the Gospel

The most unique feature of the story is that Jesus stated that her endeavor of worship and devotion is to be proclaimed throughout the whole world, “wherever this gospel is preached.” The thought that the Gospel is to be preached with the telling of the story of Mary of Bethany at first glance doesn’t seem to make sense. It is rare that you hear the story of Mary’s costly and sacrificial worship in the presentation of the Gospel. I, for one, as of this writing, cannot remember a time when I have given a gospel presentation and offered an invitation for people to receive Jesus while including the story of Mary of Bethany. As I was meditating on this scripture I began to see the value of her story as it relates to capturing a heart that does not know the Lord Jesus.

Mary is the example of what it means to live passionately. It could easily be argued that exciting and passionate living is the desire of the masses. Yet, everyday, people live lives searching and seeking to find the next excitement to make their heart race not knowing that the superior pleasures of life are not found in natural things but in spiritual. There are many pleasures to be experienced in this life. However, every delight that is based in earthly, natural experience is inferior to the enjoyment that is available in deeply encountering and authentically knowing the Lord Jesus.

The hidden revelation of Mary of Bethany that is to be commemorated at each sharing of the gospel is not simply that her devotion was costly. It is not solely that her worship was extravagant. Neither is it that her heart was untainted and pure in her love for Jesus. While all of these are true, I believe that the principle revelation of her elaborate expression of desire for the Lord is found in her motivation. What was the motivation of this abandoned act of love and worship? Her extravagant devotion was a testimony to the reality of the intensity of the captivating power of the love of Jesus. The hidden truth that Mary experienced first hand is that Jesus’ love is fully and completely intoxicating. When you truly come to know Him in intimacy it enthralls your entire being. You will be so thoroughly overwhelmed by Him that your heart will swell with ecstasy and satisfaction. You will encounter that for which you were created; the experience of the superior pleasure of creation, knowing Him. It was this reality that triggered the lavish encounter of adoration from this abandoned young woman.

When the gospel message is preached in context to this reality it will not only instruct sinners that without Jesus they are lost but it will also offer them a reality of pleasure that far exceeds any of the, so called, pleasures of sin.

The Full Gospel

Therefore, the full preaching of the gospel includes several facets. I am not proposing that these are the only facets or that this is an exhaustive list; however I believe that these truths need to be considered.

First, Paul declared that a full presentation of the Gospel includes a witness with signs and wonders in the power of the Spirit of God.

Romans 15:18-19 For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient; 19 in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.

Next, the gospel must also offer a revelation of complete loss and destruction without the holy sacrifice of the blood of Jesus.

2Th 1:8-9 … in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,

Thirdly, it must also offer the necessity of repentance in order to receive the promised free gift of sanctification.

Mat 9:13 “But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

Finally, as Jesus stated, Mary of Bethany’s act of complete fascination is to be mentioned in the entire world whenever the gospel is preached. (Mark 14:9, Mat 26:13) The preaching of the gospel, therefore, must be offered with the reality of the intoxicating, exhilarating capability that intimacy with Jesus has upon the human heart.

Fulfilling the Song

Song of Songs 1:12 declares, “While the king is at his table, My spikenard sends forth its fragrance.” Consider this; Mary of Bethany was a Jew, extremely familiar with the teachings of the Old Testament. It is very likely that as she came to the recognition of Jesus as the Messiah this verse in Song of Songs came alive to her spirit. In a moment of unrestrained affection she realized that she could actually live this scripture with the true King. What went unnoticed to everyone else became the defining moment of her life; the King was in her midst and she had the opportunity to offer to Him extravagantly, this reality compelled her. While Jesus the King was reclined at the table with His friends, she, having a revelation of the intimacy of being His Bride, literally fulfilled this scripture. It is stunning to consider that this young lady from Bethany through one act of sacrificial love is commemorated for all time in partnership with the story of God’s ultimate sacrifice, the giving of His Son for mankind.

While Mary of Bethany lived the experience in the flesh it is not something that is unavailable for us. The very heart of intoxication in the love of God that Mary possessed is freely available to anyone who desires to know this burning Man, Jesus. I want to encourage you to run headlong into the knowledge of God. As you come to new places in the knowledge of Him, your heart will begin to swell with love. Soon you will find yourself captured and captivated by this Beautiful Savior. The power of the love of God upon the human heart is nothing short of mesmerizing, captivating, fascinating… intoxicating. It is available to you now. Delve deeply into the reality of His love and you will find yourself completely overwhelmed with desire for Him, this is the intoxication of the Gospel.