He had affirmed her. When others told her no, when her sister said it wasn’t proper, when society said you can’t, Jesus welcomed her to sit at His feet, learn from Him. She was grateful. 

He had rescued her. She and her sister loss their brother, their provider. They mourned. They thought all hope was gone and Jesus came, raised her brother from the dead and restored their family.

So with a grateful heart Mary worshipped. She gave all she had. She worshipped extravagantly, recklessly, with abandonment. She gave a very expensive gift, a year’s wages to honor the one whom accepted her as she was, the one whom raised her brother from the dead, the one whom loved her, the one whom set her free to worship.

But those around criticized her, rebuked her, questioned her wisdom. They were harsh.

Friends, no one knows your story like you do. No one can truly understand how His love has set you free; how His acceptance has emboldened you; how His free forgiveness has caused you to dance. No one knows how he healed your body, made a way when there was no way, moved mountains others thought were unmovable. So they may not understand your worship. They may mock you, criticize you, rebuke you. 

But let Mary be our example. Let us worship our beautiful savior with reckless abandonment. Let us be oblivious to the criticism of those around us. Let us focus our eyes on the one who has set us free, gave His life so we can live. If He were unconcerned with the way He looked when He was a beaten, bloody mess hanging on a cross, why should we care about what others think of us as we worship?

Remember, the crowd rebuked her harshly but Jesus (the only one who truly mattered) praised her. He called her worship beautiful, memorable. Her worship was pleasing to the Savior.

Let us worship our Savior today. Recklessly. Extravagantly. Beautifully. Let our worship be pleasing to Jesus.

“While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.”

Mark 14:3-5 NIV