Mary of Bethany: a woman of faith and discernment

Mary of Bethany was a faithful woman completely devoted to Jesus. She was also a woman of few words (compared to her sister, Martha, who never lacked something to say). As Jesus neared the time of his triumphal entry into Jerusalem prior to Passover, Mary performed a gesture of great prophetic significance and one that greatly offended Judas Iscariot. When she wept at the tomb of her brother, Lazarus, and showed great sorrow at the cross. Mary was a woman who was unafraid to express her love for Christ and was determined to seek the heart of God. Her story is an example of how gestures speak louder than words. Mary was a woman of thoughtful worship. Her story is an example of hospitality. What lessons can we take from her story? 

When Jesus returned to Bethany before the Passover, Martha prepared a feast. While Jesus reclined at the table, Mary entered the room with a pint of expensive perfume and anointed Jesus’ head with it. Judas, failing to appreciate the gesture, objects and asks Jesus to admonish Mary for wasting such an expensive item. She did not defend herself in the face of criticism. She was so confident and secure in her faith that she allowed Jesus to defend her. And defend her, he did. Jesus praises Mary instead, stating that Mary has prepared him for burial. And he makes the claim that when the gospel reaches the world, her act will be remembered. Throughout her story, Mary had one goal: to have the closest relationship possible. She soaked up his teachings, taking in his promises to heart and she picked up on clues that others had missed. Somehow, she had the insight or discernment that Passover would not be a time of honor for him but a time of darkest and dishonor. Mary knew how to embrace the difficult parts of the gospel as well as the joyful parts. 

Hospitality was highly valued in the Jewish community. God had commanded it in the Old Testament. It is defined as “the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers.” It is an art to make sure guests are welcomed, warmed and well-fed. It requires creativity, organization, and, oftentimes, teamwork. It is also an important aspect for the Christian community as it can become an opportunity for sharing the gospel. Romans 12:13 says “share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” We are to show hospitality to strangers (Hebrews 13:2) and not just the people we know. 1 Peter 4:9 states that we are to “offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.” When we offer hospitality “with all your heart” we do so “as working for the Lord, not for human masters” (Colossians 3:23). Mary and Martha offered different aspects of hospitality. As Martha prepared a feast for her guests, Mary was making sure they were welcomed and entertained. For Mary, hospitality was giving more attention. She would rather talk and listen than cook. For Martha, it was in the preparation of and providence of the food and drink. 

There are lessons we can take away from Mary’s story. First, small acts of obedience and service have widespread effects. I think this lesson is one we all can understand. Remember when someone’s small, simple act of kindness had a huge impact on yourself. Second, when we focus on Christ, he will become our greatest passion and our tendency to self-absorption diminishes. Mary was so focused on Christ that the cost to herself was secondary. The perfume is said to have cost a year’s wages. It is understandable that Judas questioned why she would waste just an expensive item, although his motives behind his objection were purely selfish. When she was moved to honor Jesus this way, did she consider the cost? Maybe, maybe not. All that mattered to her was to honor Jesus. Third, Christ is our greatest comfort. As Mary grieved for her brother, she turned to Jesus and he wept with her (John 11:32-36). When we come to Christ, we find comfort, peace and security. We experience the truth of “weeping may remain for a night but rejoicing comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5b).

In conclusion, Mary is an example of faith and discernment. She was perhaps the only person who understood and accepted Jesus’ coming death. Mary took, what turned out to be her final opportunity, to anoint Jesus, to show her love and devotion to him. She took her grief and sadness to Jesus for comfort and security. We can too. Coming to Jesus in prayer with our grief and he will comfort us. Hospitality is a perfect opportunity to show Christ’s love for each other and share the gospel. And every time we offer hospitality, we do so as if Jesus was sitting at our home. Whether or not our guests are appreciative or receptive to our hospitality, we do so for the Lord. In the hopes that through us, our guests see Jesus. 

What does it truly mean when Jesus says "judge not"?

Lately I’ve been hearing people say “You can’t judge me. Only God can judge me” as if to say my opinion doesn’t matter and they have the right to behave in a certain way. Yes, God is the ultimate Judge (1 Corinthians 4:3-5); however, I don’t think people truly understand when Jesus says “Do not judge, or you too will be judged” (Matthew 7:1). To paraphrase Inigo Montoya from the The Princess Bride, you keep using that phrase, I do not think it means what you think it means. Many people quote verse 1 and forget the 4 following verses.

First, Jesus says in Matthew 7:1-2, “Do not judge, or you too will be judge. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Jesus is telling us to examine our own motives and conduct instead of judging others. The traits that bothers us in others are often the habits we dislike in ourselves. Romans 2:1 warns us about judging others in this way. Paul writes “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.” It is a warning against rash, hypocritical and unjust judgments. In Luke 6:37, Jesus says “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven.” Therefore, we are to judge ourselves first. Do we deserve the same criticism? If so, come clean before God and then lovingly approach others about their behaviors or sins.

Second, Jesus continues in verses 3-5, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, “Let me take the speck out of your eye,” when all the time there is a plank in your own eyes? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” “Do not judge” is against the kind of hypocritical, judgmental attitude that tears others down in order to build oneself up. It is also not a blanket statement against all critical thinking. This is how many people are using it. However, it is a call to be discerning rather than negative. To be discerning is to have and show good judgment. Jesus said to expose false teachers (Matthew 7:15-23) and Paul writes that we are to exercise church discipline (1 Corinthians 5:1-2). So how are we to do this without judgment? With God’s guidance.

Third, in verse 6, Jesus says “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.” In Jewish tradition, pigs are unclean animals, according to God’s law (Deuteronomy 14:8). When Jesus uses the illustration of pigs trampling pearls under their feet, he is saying we should not entrust holy teaching to unholy or unclean people. It is futile to try to teach holy concepts to people who don’t want to listen and will only tear apart what we day. However, that doesn’t mean we should stop giving God’s Word to unbelievers. It means we should be wise and discerning in what we teach to whom, so that we will not be wasting our time.” It also means that we should be careful to whom we dispense advice to because someone who doesn’t want to listen will tear apart your advice.

Therefore, what does this all mean? People use verse 1 as a way to shut others up about what they would deem to be intolerance by giving it a meaning that was never intended. When Jesus says to “judge not” he does not mean that Christians do not deal with sin in each other. It does not mean we are not to correct with respect to God’s Word. If you see someone behaving in direct violation of God’s Word, are you just supposed to let it slide? No. It also does not mean that we cannot make value judgment or assessments on situations. The verses do mean that we are to be careful not to become a fault finder and to eliminate the spirit of criticism. We are to look for the best in people while lovingly correct when correction is warranted. And again, recognize that God is the ultimate Judge and he assesses the motives of the heart that we cannot see.

In conclusion, we have become a society where being judgmental has become a negative word. Yes, many people will form an opinion or view of someone based on very little information. And that is wrong. However, bottom line: when we judge, we need to do so in truth and love. If we judge in the spirit of jealousy or hatred or an overall critical spirit, we are being judgmental and need to seek God’s guidance before continuing. Jesus loved people enough to call people out on what was wrong and speak the truth. The difference between judging someone and being judgmental is love.