Don't Judge Another's Worship
“So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at the 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
This scene should feel familiar.
Martha is serving. Mary is at His feet. Lazarus is reclining at the table. It looks a lot like Luke 10, except something has changed. No one is angry. No one is accusing. There is harmony.
In Luke 10, Martha judged Mary’s worship. She assumed her service was superior. She expected Mary to worship the way she did. When Mary did not meet her standard, frustration followed.
In John 12, Martha serves again. Mary sits again. Lazarus rests again. But there is no criticism.
All three are worshiping. It just looks different.
Mary worships with affection and time. She pours out costly perfume and wipes His feet with her hair. It is intimate. It is expressive. It is personal.
Martha worships through work. She prepares the meal. She serves the table. She likely provided the perfume itself. Her worship looks like responsibility and generosity.
Lazarus worships by living. He was dead. Now he is alive. Every breath is testimony. His very presence at that table is praise.
This is a picture of the church.
Some sing loudly. Some stand quietly. Some serve tirelessly. Some give generously. Some testify with words. Some testify simply by persevering. The problem begins when we measure someone else’s worship against our preferences. We inspect their expression instead of celebrating their devotion. We confuse uniformity with unity.
John 12 shows us something better. Unity is not everyone worshiping the same way. Unity is everyone worshiping the same Savior. The house was filled with fragrance because no one was competing.
At Legacy, and in your own heart, let this be true. No one’s worship is superior. No one’s posture is more mature by default. The question is not how it looks. The question is who it is for.
When Jesus is the center, different expressions can live in peace.
And that harmony smells like worship.
John 12:2-3
This scene should feel familiar.
Martha is serving. Mary is at His feet. Lazarus is reclining at the table. It looks a lot like Luke 10, except something has changed. No one is angry. No one is accusing. There is harmony.
In Luke 10, Martha judged Mary’s worship. She assumed her service was superior. She expected Mary to worship the way she did. When Mary did not meet her standard, frustration followed.
In John 12, Martha serves again. Mary sits again. Lazarus rests again. But there is no criticism.
All three are worshiping. It just looks different.
Mary worships with affection and time. She pours out costly perfume and wipes His feet with her hair. It is intimate. It is expressive. It is personal.
Martha worships through work. She prepares the meal. She serves the table. She likely provided the perfume itself. Her worship looks like responsibility and generosity.
Lazarus worships by living. He was dead. Now he is alive. Every breath is testimony. His very presence at that table is praise.
This is a picture of the church.
Some sing loudly. Some stand quietly. Some serve tirelessly. Some give generously. Some testify with words. Some testify simply by persevering. The problem begins when we measure someone else’s worship against our preferences. We inspect their expression instead of celebrating their devotion. We confuse uniformity with unity.
John 12 shows us something better. Unity is not everyone worshiping the same way. Unity is everyone worshiping the same Savior. The house was filled with fragrance because no one was competing.
At Legacy, and in your own heart, let this be true. No one’s worship is superior. No one’s posture is more mature by default. The question is not how it looks. The question is who it is for.
When Jesus is the center, different expressions can live in peace.
And that harmony smells like worship.
Posted in The Word Made Flesh
No Comments