The Worship of Tears

I read this and I thought you all would enjoy. I got this from Michael Cards ministry.


The Worship of Tears

1Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus--the man he had raised from the dead. 2A dinner was prepared in Jesus' honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with him. 3Then 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.
4But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, 5"That perfume was worth a year's wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor." 6Not that he cared for the poor--he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples' money, he often stole some for himself.

|| John 12:1-6 || NLT ||

We always find her at His feet. In Luke 10, she receives a scolding from her sister for sitting at Jesus' feet. In John 11 she collapses at His feet when He comes to deal with the death of her brother Lazarus. In the passage above, she is there once more, wetting His feet with her tears. And finally, after the Resurrection of Jesus, we see her holding onto Him for joy. Though there is no specific word about His feet, when Jesus says, "You don’t have to hold on to me, I haven't ascended to my Father yet," I believe John assumes we understand that she has fallen once more and is clinging to His feet.

We sometimes speak of worship as "coming to the feet of Jesus," but we don't tend to bring what Mary brought as her offering. In Luke, it is her curiosity and willingness to learn. At the death of Lazarus, it is her disappointment she brings. At the supper, her sorrows are what she has brought, along with the perfume. And finally in the garden, it is first her confusion and then her relief.

Wouldn't you like to be known as the person who is always at the feet of Jesus? Look at what Mary brought. Look now at what you have to bring.

~Joanna