The Cost of Belief

The scriptures foretold that the messiah would be beaten beyond recognition and would suffer for the sins of the world. Through Him, we could be saved and those who were not called the people of God would be brought near. Many of the followers of Jesus were aware of these things before they ever met him, and even if they weren’t aware of this, they were told that this must happen by Jesus. Several times, he repeated the necessary punishment He would endure for their sake and several times the disciples were either silent or in objection to this message.

This really does remind me of the gospel today. We have the Bible available to us today, and no matter what sort of translation or paraphrase you have, there is mention of what Christ did for us at Calvary. Any Bible that is not heretical will also show us that the cost for following Christ is beyond what we have to offer. We are to give our all, knowing that even this is not enough. The price to follow Christ can only be paid for by Christ. Nonetheless, we must sacrifice our love to this world if we hope to be glorified in the next. This message is prevalent in the scriptures, but so many people are unwilling to accept this cost for their belief. A mental assent and a verbal proclamation is the standard, not a deep-seated love for Christ or a dark hatred of our own sin.

Matthew 26:6-9
Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table. And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor.”

This woman is revealed to be Mary Magdalene in the parallel accounting from the book of John (John 12:2-8) and much like another time we say Mary and Martha together (Luke 10:38-42), Martha was serving the guests, working frantically to make sure that everything would go smoothly. And just like that earlier accounting, Mary spent her time at the feet of Jesus.

It is a curse that we try so hard to be self-sufficient in all things, including those things that simple logic will reveal to be beyond our grasp. Finite beings trying to perform the infinite task of approaching God in a way that He will accept! That’s what we are most of the time. We lack any sense of humility before God, almost daring Him to reject our second best effort. We place our satisfaction on the works of our own hands and not on the hope that comes only from the blood that poured out of the hands of Christ.

When a church is doing well financially, the squabbles can begin very quickly. Each person with a pet project in the church finds him or herself as one participant in a struggle to shame the others for a greater portion of those funds, so that they may go and do the work of the Lord. Like Martha, they are bustling in the kitchen while the true blessing is to be found at the feet of Jesus. Are we afraid to be seen as someone who isn’t pulling our own weight? Is that what this amounts to? Is it just the admiration of men that we seek?

Matthew 26:10-13 But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”

Jesus brought this scene to a dramatic climax during this meal. This event happened not long after the triumphal entry, and the jostling among His disciples had already begun. Each one longed to find a more prominent position in His kingdom because of their loyalty, their friendship with Jesus, their fidelity, the way they had served Him. But this woman knew that all of these things were rubbish next to the greatest treasure of all: the Messiah who would be crucified for the sins of many, including hers. She loved the Lord and was preparing Him for His death, knowing that by His stripes she would be healed.

In essence, she was willing to pay the price for her belief, not only in the expensive perfume, but in her despisal at the pride and fear that kept the others in their dignified positions.

Are we willing to make such a sacrifice before our own peers? If we had such a chance, would we reduce ourselves to this level? In context, are we relying on our own plans and our own means to perform the work of God or are we satisfied through our adoration of the savior of the world? When we see someone who doesn’t seem to be pulling their own weight around the church, what do we think? Do we think that they just don’t get it? Please accept the response Jesus gave Martha in an earlier encounter at her house as the closing of this post.

Luke 10:41-42
But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”