Devotionals,  Faith,  Jesus

Mary: The Woman Who Wasted On Jesus


“Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me.” (Mark 14:6)

Read: Luke 10:38–42; Mark 14:1–11

Obnoxious.
Wasteful.
Reckless. 

By human standards Mary’s sacrifice was ‘too much’. She could have sold her perfume and donated money to the poor. Instead, she recklessly poured a year’s worth of wages down the drain–all for Jesus’ sake! Her sacrifice was motivated by love, and yet she was rebuked for investing in the wrong place. 

Mary had developed a reputation for being wasteful. Her sister Martha had once rebuked her for being unhelpful and unproductive. Jesus came over for a meal and Martha sprang into action to tick off the items in her to-do list. Her sense of accomplishment welled with each completed task, but it also made her resentful of Mary who was sitting at Jesus’ feet! How lazy! There was so much to be done, and yet Mary was distracted by Jesus’ teachings! How unhelpful and unproductive! 

But instead of praising Martha for her ‘productivity’, Jesus helps her to see that she is in fact the ‘distracted’ one who is plagued by many worries. Busyness makes for a terrible god because its demands are endless. The sense of accomplishment never lasts. It tempts us to proudly compare our ‘good works’ with others, while at the same time, wondering if we’ve ever done enough. Instead, Jesus praises the woman who is still–the one who sits humbly at his feet to soak in his word. Mary is commended for making margins in her schedule in order to ‘waste time’ listening to the One she loves. 

In Mark 14, Wasteful Mary is once again rebuked for her obnoxious outpouring of love for her saviour, and yet Jesus echoes the same sentiments as before. She has chosen what is better. She has done a beautiful thing. In God’s kingdom, being busy is not necessarily better or more beautiful. Jesus had warned the disciples many times that his brutal death was coming, and yet their hearts were distracted. Judas was blinded by greed, and the others by tasks and productivity. While the disciples devalue Jesus’ presence, Mary sees the extent of his worth. He is the Lord and Messiah and his value has no limit. Mary’s heart is brimming with love and devotion, so that when she hears of Jesus’ departure, it overflows in an extravagant outpouring of wasteful worship. It’s a beautiful thing. 

This story shows us that spiritual ‘success’ is not measured by our external performance or tangible outcomes. Entry into his kingdom is not a competition for the competent. Jesus measures our success by the state of our hearts–and for many, this is a divine mercy. It’s mercy for the sick and bed-bound. It’s mercy for the forgetful child and the disabled senior. It’s mercy for the anxious and depressed. It’s mercy for the needy and vulnerable. It’s mercy for the weary who are prone to wander. It’s mercy for sinners. 

The human soul is finite, destined to bloom one day and to wither the next. There will be an hour when our body will no longer be capable of productivity and our staggered breath will be sustained by a divine thread of grace. In our hour where flesh fails, we only need to ‘be still’ at our Saviour’s feet, and to follow the voice that has promised to bring us home. In that hour, will his voice be familiar because you ‘wasted time’ to hear him speak, or will it be foreign because you spent your life distracted by many things? 

Jesus is quick to receive a humble and devoted heart, and our devotion is never a waste–it will be received and remembered. So whether your perfume jar is empty or full, let me encourage you to pour it onto Jesus–the one of infinite value. Let your love for Jesus compel ‘wasteful’ sacrifice and to prioritise stillness in his presence. Regardless of what our culture pitches as productive or helpful, know that your love and labour for the Lord is never wasted. It is better and beautiful. 


Verses For Meditation: 

  • Psalm 46:10
  • 1 Corinthians 15:58
  • Matthew 11:28–30

Reflection Questions:

  1. How does Mary’s example of ‘wasteful’ worship inspire you?
  2. How does Jesus’ correction of Martha and the disciples challenge you? 
  1. When have you felt as though your sacrifices for Jesus are a waste of time, money or effort?
  1. How does this story change your perspective of productivity? 
  1. What spiritual disciplines can you put in place to ensure that you’re making time to hear from Jesus and his word? 

Prayer: 

Praise God that our sacrifices for the Kingdom have eternal value. Confess the ways in which your heart has been too busy or distracted for the things that truly matter. Confess the times you have judged other people for their lack of productivity. Ask God to help you redefine productivity and to prioritise activities that are ‘better’ and ‘beautiful’. 


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