What is Worship? Identifying Key Principles

John 12:3 records an unusual and exceptional example of worship that confronts many of the modern conceptions about the nature of worship:

“So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.” (John 12:2–3, ESV)

In the first century it was a common practice to wash people’s feet, but this was an extravagant version of feet washing on the part of Mary. In fact, Mark’s record of this account tells us that it went well beyond a foot washing. Mary broke open the bottle of ointment and used the entire bottle to anoint Christ from head to toe. To understand this act of sacrifice it is helpful to understand a little more about this perfume she used

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This type of oil comes from the spikenard plant which is native to subalpine zones of the Himalayas where it grows. The oil is like a perfume concentrate that would have been extremely costly—an entire year’s salary. The oil could be used for burial, it could be used for enjoyment, it could even by used to pay a bride’s price. This was, in all likelihood, Mary’s most costly possession. What Mary chose to do with her “treasure” revealed her heart toward Christ. She used it all on Christ! And the excess oil and dirt that was loosened by the oil, she wiped it off with her own hair. Mary was probably influenced by the worship of the woman in Luke 7:38:

“And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment.” (Lk 7:37–38)

Mary must have considered this woman’s actions to be so Christ-honoring that she wanted to imitate it in her own way.

What was the significance of this act? We don’t know if Mary made the connection between this anointing and Christ’s death, the text doesn’t tell us. But we do know that Jesus made the connection between this act of worship and his imminent death and burial (v. 7). Additionally, we also know Christ was so pleased by it that in Mark’s Gospel we read of his commendation of Mary:

“She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”” (Mark 14:8–9, ESV)

Can imagine hearing those words from Christ? Imagine standing before the Lord in the final judgment hearing the words “Well done my good and faithful slave, you have done what you could.” Mary got to experience a preview of what will be the most satisfying experience in the life of a believer, and it was because her extreme worship pointed to the death of Christ and it pleased Christ.

The point of this passage is not that we should go around dumping perfume on people. It is also not that we should blow an entire year’s salary on our own personal worship budget. So what is the point? The nobility of Mary’s worship is instructive for us in several key observations that we can make about it:

• It was costly - This was Mary’s most costly possession and she wanted to use it all up as an act of worship. Worship is supposed to cost us something. We don’t often think of worship in this way, we usually focus on what we will get out of it rather than what it will cost us, but that is wrong. Think of King David when he would not accept the gift of a field for the location of an altar. He insisted to pay for for the field because, as he said,

“I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing” (2 Samuel 24:24, ESV).

In our case, worship is supposed to cost us everything,

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” (Romans 12:1, ESV)

• It was humble - One thing is clear from the details of this event, Mary wanted to serve and exalt Christ. In fact, she performed this tribute in the most self-effacing manner possible. When she let down her hair it would have been viewed in the contemporary culture as an act of indecency. But in that moment how people perceived her wasn’t a controlling motive; she was there to worship Christ not be noticed by all. She served him with all that she had, and exalted him for everyone to see. In other words, Christ was the focus not Mary. The Bible says a lot about humility, but more than anything, the Bible says that humility is required in the pursuit of God.

“But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” (James 4:6–10)

• It was extravagant - John tells us the whole house was filled with the smell; it was an extravagant and lovely act of worship. Judas is going to criticize it because it was not practical—and it wasn’t practical. When Jesus rebukes Judas he never claims that it was practical, frugal, or sensible. Instead, he says that we will have plenty of opportunities to be practical, but sometimes being extravagant is an appropriate expression of love. This is true in any relationship, but it is especially true in our service of the Lord. God is not pleased with stingy expressions of worship. He loves a cheerful giver, and is himself an extravagant giver of gifts:

“Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written, “He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God.” (2 Corinthians 9:7–12, ESV)