He’s Got Your Back

A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary & Martha. This was the Mary who later poured expensive perfume on the Lord’s feet and wiped them with her hair (John 11:1-2).

“This was the Mary who…”

I love that, “the Mary who…” She is singled out of the story as if to remind us we are all unique and seen. We all have our own story amidst all the other stories happening around us.

She is the one that Jesus would defend on a future visit (John 12:1-8). She would pour an expensive perfume over Jesus’ feet. Judas (Jesus’ disciple) would then question why she didn’t sell the perfume and give the money to the poor. A very practical & seemingly logical thought, but not God’s plan for the moment. Jesus response to Judas is so like that of a big brother; He says, “Leave her alone.” And then, as if the creator of the universe telling someone to back-off isn’t enough, he adds, “wherever the Gospel is preached, what she did will be told by everyone.”

And so it is told again.

It strikes me that this is also the same Mary that Jesus had to defend on a previous visit. Martha was upset at Mary for sitting with Jesus instead of helping her with all that HAD to be done (Luke 10:38-41).

 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

He comes to her rescue again.

Bless her heart. I feel for Mary. She seems to have a genuine desire to follow Jesus and honor him through her actions, despite the reality that those actions often go against the flow and kick against the acceptable norms. They result in judgement and criticism from others…and yet, she confidently follows through on her Spirit-led behavior.

Oh, that we could all be so sensitive and obedient to God’s Spirit, that despite being picked on or judged, we would know we have a God that sticks up for us with all the authority of Heaven.

I suppose that’s what the cross does for each one of us. When the accuser of our souls whispers something nasty to us, He says, “Leave her alone!”

We have a defender. When the enemy tries to tell us we “should” be doing something differently or that we are acting foolishly, Jesus has our back. We are never alone. Once we are His, He is always there to stand up for us and push back the darkness.

In The Meanwhile…

May we always be sensitive to God’s leading and confident in our obedience – no matter what we hear.

“The Lord is your mighty defender, perfect and just in all His ways; Your God faithful and true; He does what is right and fair. Deuteronomy 32:4