Criticized for Serving Christ Alone

Mary of Bethany is a great example for any follower of Jesus. She shows great devotion to Jesus when she anoints Him for burial. This is a wonderful moment in the Gospels.  She trusts Jesus with all of her life.  She is radical in her submission.  She is on fire for Jesus and, as a result, is closer to Him than anyone around her.

Yet, the other disciples of Christ who witness it misunderstand Mary. They criticize her spending her all on Jesus.  They even offer spiritual sounding justifications for their attacks.

This is often is a picture of a life lived totally devoted to Jesus. It is wonderful. It is abundant and fulfilling. It is also rewarding but we will also be misunderstood and criticized by everyone around us…except Jesus.