The Power of Worship

Mark 14:1-11

Worship is never neutral. It either loosens our grip on lesser loves or tightens their chains around our soul. In Bethany, while death plotted in the shadows and religion calculated its risks, a woman stepped into the light of wholehearted devotion. She broke what could not be repaired, poured out what could not be recovered, and loved Jesus without reserve. And Jesus called it beautiful.

Mary’s act was not impulsive sentimentality; it was the overflow of a heart already shaped. She did not wake that morning intending to make history. She simply brought to Jesus what she treasured most. Worship is always like this—it reveals what already reigns within us. Judas stood in the same room, heard the same words, saw the same Jesus. Yet one broke a jar in love, and the other sold the Lord for silver. Experience with Jesus does not transform us; worship of Jesus does.

What we revere, we resemble. Mary worshiped Jesus and became free—free from calculation, free from fear of opinion, free from the tyranny of possessions. Judas worshiped money and became enslaved—restless, defensive, deceptive, willing to trade relationship for reward. Worship is never merely about what we do on occasion; it is about who or what commands our deepest allegiance. And that allegiance quietly but relentlessly forms us.

Notice that Mary did not understand the full meaning of her act. Jesus tells us she was preparing Him for burial, though she likely had no such awareness. This is the hidden power of worship: God uses surrendered love to accomplish purposes far beyond our understanding. We imagine worship as expressive; God reveals it to be effective. He has chosen praise, sacrifice, obedience, and devotion as instruments through which He works His will in the world.

Yet worship will always invite resistance. Mary’s devotion was criticized by the religious, rebuked by friends, labeled wasteful and impractical. True worship often looks foolish to those who measure life by utility rather than love. But Jesus stands between the worshiper and the accuser and says, “Leave her alone.” Heaven’s approval outweighs every earthly objection.

The question is not whether we worship, but whom. Our lives testify to our altar. Look not merely at your words, but at your formation. Are you becoming more loving or more guarded? More generous or more anxious? More gentle or more defensive? These are not accidental outcomes; they are the fruit of devotion.

Mary did what she could—and that was enough. She did not calculate future security or public opinion. She responded to Jesus with affection and action. Worship that costs us nothing shapes us into nothing. But worship that breaks us open becomes a fragrance God uses to fill the room—and sometimes, to give hope to others standing knee-deep in the mud.

Pour it out. Worship anyway. God is at work.