The Passion of Mary: When Gratitude Overflows into Action
In a powerful sermon leading up to Easter, Pastor Dave at Courageous Church invited us to reconsider where our passion for Christ stems from and how it manifests in our lives. Taking us to the often-overlooked story of Mary anointing Jesus's feet with expensive perfume in John 12, he challenged conventional thinking about what true devotion looks like.
The scene is set six days before Passover in Bethany—a household already filled with miraculous testimonies. Lazarus, recently raised from the dead, reclines at the table. Simon the leper, now healed, hosts the gathering. And Mary, who had experienced her own liberation through Jesus, watches it all unfold with a heart ready to burst with gratitude.
What happens next defies logic. Mary takes a jar of pure nard—perfume worth approximately a year's wages (roughly $60,000 in today's economy)—and pours it entirely on Jesus's feet, wiping them with her hair. The house fills with fragrance as everyone watches in astonishment.
"Passion is not reasonable," Pastor Dave emphasized. In our carefully calculated modern Christianity, we've often lost the art of extravagant worship. Mary's act wasn't measured or moderate—it was an overflow of thankfulness that couldn't be contained. She wasn't considering the financial implications or what others might think. She simply had to express her overwhelming gratitude.
The contrast with Judas is striking. Where Mary wanted to pour everything out, Judas wanted to hold back, to take rather than give. It prompts the uncomfortable question: Which of these two disciples do we more closely resemble in our approach to following Jesus?
What makes this story even more remarkable is that Mary's act of passion actually anointed Jesus for what he was about to face. Unlike traditional anointings that came from above (from God or prophets), this anointing came from below—from one person's gratitude empowering Jesus for his coming sacrifice.
Pastor Dave highlighted three essential characteristics of true passion:
Passion is unreasonable. Christianity itself was meant to be unreasonable—not just a denominational preference but an extravagant response to Christ's extravagant love.
Passion is rooted in gratitude. Even in our worst moments, the cross remains empty, the tomb remains bare, and our sin remains paid for. These truths never change.
Passion is meant to be shared. Just as passion naturally draws attention, our genuine enthusiasm for Jesus can draw others to Him more effectively than any program or invitation.
As we approach Easter, the challenge remains: Where might we be holding back? Where could we become more like Mary—unreasonable in our devotion, excessive in our gratitude, and passionate in sharing the good news with others?
Perhaps this Easter season calls us not just to remember Christ's sacrifice but to respond with sacrificial passion of our own—pouring out our lives as a fragrant offering that fills our communities with the aroma of Christ.