Costly Worship

There's something captivating about watching how people respond in pivotal moments. Whether it's a proposal, a crisis, or a life-changing announcement, human reactions reveal what we truly value. Some people jump into action. Others freeze. Some celebrate wildly, while others quietly observe from the sidelines. Two thousand years ago, one of history's most polarizing moments unfolded in a small town outside Jerusalem. Jesus had just raised Lazarus from the dead, and suddenly, no one could ignore Him anymore. He wasn't just another teacher with interesting ideas—He had demonstrated power over death itself. Everyone had to decide: Who is this man, and how will I respond?

The Dinner Party That Changed Everything

The scene in John 12:1-11 gives us a front-row seat to watch various responses to Jesus' beauty and power. At a dinner in Bethany, we see Martha anxiously serving, Lazarus relaxing and enjoying the miracle of his resurrection, Judas trying to leverage the moment for personal gain, and religious leaders plotting to shut everything down. But one person's response stands out above all the others: Mary. While everyone else reacted in predictable ways, Mary did something shocking. She took a pound of pure nard—an expensive perfume worth about a year's wages, likely her entire inheritance—and poured it on Jesus' feet. Then she did something even more scandalous: she let down her hair (something women only did in front of their husbands) and wiped His feet with it The room erupted. Judas immediately criticized her, claiming the money should have been given to the poor. But the text reveals his true motivation—he was a thief who regularly skimmed from the money bag. He saw Mary's act as wasteful. Others in the room probably thought she was going too far, being too emotional, too extravagant, too much. But Jesus defended her: "Leave her alone. She has kept it for the day of my burial." Mary understood something the others didn't. She had encountered beauty worth everything.

The Three Marks of Poured-Out Worship

Mary's response to Jesus reveals three characteristics of authentic worship that challenges our half-hearted, convenient Christianity.

1. True Worship Is Costly

We live in a culture that spends extravagantly on what we love. A ring can cost tens of thousands of dollars. We'll paint our bodies and travel across the country for sporting events. We'll sacrifice sleep, money, and comfort for our children, our careers, our hobbies. Yet when it comes to Jesus, we often want the discount version. We want salvation without surrender, blessing without sacrifice, heaven without holiness. Mary broke open her most valuable possession. It wasn't practical. It wasn't strategic. It was an act of extravagant love. Jesus once told a parable about a man who found treasure hidden in a field. In his joy, he sold everything he owned to buy that field. That's the picture of the kingdom of God—when you truly see its value, you gladly give up everything else to possess it. The comparison isn't even close. It's like choosing between cat food and a filet mignon. Once you've smelled the filet, you're done with the cat food. There was a rich young ruler who came to Jesus asking about eternal life. When Jesus told him to sell his possessions and follow Him, the man went away sad. He clung to his wealth because he hadn't truly seen the beauty of Who he was talking to or what Jesus was offering. The question for each of us is personal: What is costly to you? What is Jesus asking you to lay at His feet? Your time? Your comfort? Your reputation? Your plans? Your sexuality? Your preferences?

2. True Worship Is Wild

Mary didn't just pour out the perfume and walk away. She let down her hair and wiped Jesus' feet with it. In that culture, this was scandalous, inappropriate, too much. King David once danced before the Lord with all his might, wearing very little clothing. His wife criticized him for disgracing himself. His response? "I cannot help how wild my response is to the presence of God." We live in a culture that celebrates wild responses to everything except Jesus. We paint our chests for football games. We scream at concerts. We dance at weddings. We go crazy when our kids take their first steps or use the potty. But in church? We're measured. Controlled. Reserved. Heaven forbid someone raises their hands or says "Amen" too loudly. The truth is, worship is worth-ship. It's about valuing something above everything else. And when you truly value something, your response will look strange to people who don't share that value. Wild worship doesn't mean being weird for the sake of being weird. It means your life reflects an all-consuming passion for Jesus that others might not understand. Maybe it's reading your Bible every day. Maybe it's going to prayer meetings. Maybe it's being more expressive in corporate worship. Maybe it's inviting people into your home who make others uncomfortable. As you follow Jesus wholeheartedly, people will say you're going too far. They'll think you're extreme. But there's precedent in Scripture for costly, wild devotion to the King, because He’s truly beautiful.

3. True Worship Is Fragrant

The text tells us "the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume." Everyone in that room smelled it. The aroma was unmistakable, unavoidable, memorable. Paul writes that "to God we are the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To some we are an aroma of death leading to death, and to others an aroma of life leading to life." In other words, when you live a poured-out life for Jesus, you become fragrant. Some people will be drawn to you. They'll smell something beautiful and compelling about your life—your marriage, your generosity, your peace, your joy—and they'll want what you have. Others will be repelled. The same fragrance that attracts some will drive others away. Just as Jesus was polarizing, a truly Christ-centered life will be polarizing too. The question is: Are you changing the spiritual temperature of the rooms you enter, or are you just reading the temperature and conforming to it? Are you a thermostat or a thermometer?

The Secret to Poured-Out Living

Here's the crucial truth: You cannot will yourself to love Jesus more. You cannot manufacture passion through sheer determination. The secret to living a costly, wild, fragrant life is understanding what Jesus has already done for you. He is the most valuable treasure in the universe, and He was broken for you. He poured Himself out completely—His time, His comfort, His very life—so that you could be reconciled to God. God created everything for His glory and our joy. He made you to know Him intimately. But we all turned away, choosing our own way instead of His. That's sin, and it separates us from a holy God. Yet God loved us so much that He sent Jesus to live the perfect life we couldn't live, to die the death we deserved, to rise from the grave in victory over sin and death. He ascended to heaven and promises to return and make all things new. This is the gospel. And it demands a response. Jesus can't be just another important figure in your life. He's either a liar, a lunatic, or Lord. There's no middle ground.

What Will You Pour Out?

“Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains by itself. But if it dies, it produces much fruit. Anyone who loves his life will lose it, but the one who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” This isn't about hating yourself. It's about having such a profound revelation of Jesus' beauty that your life is no longer your own.

So what's your response?

If you've never given your life to Jesus, today is the day. Turn from your old life and believe in Him.

If you're a follower of Jesus, what does poured-out living look like for you? Spend time with God daily. Invite your friends to encounter Him. Use your gifts to advance His kingdom. Give generously. Live differently.

And if you've been walking with Jesus for a while, ask Him: What's the costly thing You want me to pour out at Your feet?

The world will call it waste. Others will say you're going too far. But when you've truly encountered the beauty of Jesus, you'll gladly break open everything valuable and pour it out for Him.

Because He's worth it. He's always been worth it.

This article used generative AI via Pulpit AI to transform one of Chris' sermons into this article. The content is original to CDM, with some help from Pulpit AI adapting it into article form.