A Profile of Humility, Faith and Devotion
Introduction
Mary lived with her famous brother Lazarus and assertive sister Martha in Bethany, a hillside hamlet on the Mount of Olives that John calls “the village of Mary and her sister Martha” (11:1).1 Mary might have been overshadowed by her more prominent siblings, but the Holy Spirit chose to weave her beautiful story as an enduring tribute to her faith and devotion. By observing her interactions with the Lord Jesus, we learn the value of cultivating a deeper spiritual understanding and closer personal relationship with the Savior.
We meet Mary of Bethany by name three times in the Gospels, and in each case the author showcases her humility by linking her actions to the feet of Christ. As we discuss her encounters with the Lord Jesus, we will note how each occasion highlights a different facet of her gracious character.
Sitting at His Feet: Learning (Luke 10:38-42)
Mary’s first recorded interaction with Christ occurred in the house of her sister Martha. Martha invited the Lord to come in for a meal. While Martha was busily preparing supper, Mary sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to His teaching. Martha was “distracted with much serving” (Luk 10:40) and grew increasingly annoyed that her sister wasn’t giving her a hand. Apparently forgetting to whom she was speaking, Martha rebuked the Lord, accusing Him of not caring that Mary sat at His feet while she did all the work. But the Lord affirmed Mary’s choice by telling Martha, “Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her” (v42).
Mary lived in a world that devalued and marginalized women. From the first page of Scripture, however, we learn that God created both male and female in His image and gave both genders an equal vertical relationship with Himself. The New Testament continues to honor females by recording that women were the first to believe news of the births of the Messiah and His forerunner (Luk 1:5-45), the last to leave the cross (Joh 19:25), and the first to arrive at the tomb (Mar 16:1). The Lord Jesus revealed His identity as Israel’s Messiah first to a Samaritan woman while teaching her principles of spiritual worship (Joh 4:21-26), and He appeared first to Mary Magdalene after His resurrection (20:11-18).
Christ’s interaction with Mary of Bethany shows that He valued women and promoted their spiritual education and growth. While passages like 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 and 1 Timothy 2:8-15 charge males with the responsibility of public praying, preaching and teaching, these same passages expect that women will be present in teaching meetings, engaging with the truth, and be motivated to ask questions about doctrine in private settings. By mentioning Priscilla first, the Holy Spirit emphasizes that she was involved in the spiritual education of Apollos with her husband Aquila in their home (Act 18:26). If a sister longs to grow in holiness and know God’s will, she must immerse herself in Scripture, and older women can only train younger women successfully if they use God’s Word as their guide (Titus 2:3-4).
When Christ was visiting, Mary prioritized spiritual nourishment over domestic duties and physical food. Preparing a meal takes work, and the Lord acknowledged that. But in His wilderness testing, and always, He embodied the principle that stood written in the Law, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Mat 4:4). The best dish served at this supper was Christ’s teaching. His words were the main course, and, unlike other items on the menu that day, His truth provided eternal nourishment and satisfaction. When we focus on Christ as Mary did, He becomes our greatest treasure. As our passion for Him grows, competing interests in transient things fade away.
Falling at His Feet: Trusting (John 11:28-44)
The Holy Spirit further develops Mary’s character in the story of her brother’s death. John prefaces this account by informing us that “Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus” (Joh 11:5). When the Lord finally arrived on the scene, Martha marched out to meet Him, while Mary remained at home with other mourners. But when she learned that the Lord was calling for her, she rushed to meet Him. So great was her love for Christ and her faith in His power that she left the other comforters and placed herself in the arms of the greatest Comforter the world has ever known. She fell at His feet with deep sorrow, saying, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (v32). When the Savior saw her heartache, “he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled” (v33). He burst into tears – even though He was about to restore her brother to her. Before He removed the source of her anguish, He drew close to her, wept with her and comforted her.
This poignant moment illustrates not only Mary’s unshakeable faith in the Lord’s power, but also her intense longing to be with Him in the face of tragedy. Unlike many who followed Jesus, Mary demonstrated a personal connection with Christ that transcended mere admiration; she engaged with Him on a deeply relational level. In the same way, when we grieve, our greatest comfort comes from drawing near to Christ and experiencing His generous compassion. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb 4:15-16).
Anointing His Feet: Worshiping (John 12:1-8)
As the cross drew near and the Savior entered Jerusalem, He was soon embroiled in hostility, bitterness, treachery and tragedy. But two miles out of the city in a homely house in Bethany, He found cherished respite. So, the Lord kept returning to Bethany in the evenings throughout the taxing week before Passover. In that house, shortly before His betrayal, Mary copiously anointed the Lord’s feet with very expensive perfumed oil and dried them with her hair. John, an eyewitness, records this act of extravagant love and intelligent devotion, and remembers that the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
Unlike Christ’s other followers, Mary had believed the Lord’s thrice-repeated announcement about His impending death, burial and resurrection. While the disciples bickered about which one of them would be greatest in the kingdom, Mary contented herself with listening to her Lord and meditating on His words. Only once in the world’s history could the Son of God be anointed for burial. That moment was now, and one lone woman with spiritual discernment seized it. Days later, when the Lord had died, other women reactively went to the tomb to anoint His body (Mar 16:1-6). But Mary had been proactive. Humility had opened her eyes.
Judas Iscariot criticized this waste of a costly substance, but Mary said nothing. Rather, she allowed the Savior to defend her, and He did. He told Judas to leave her alone and affirmed that she had kept this perfume for His burial and had worshiped Him in a beautiful and meaningful way. Without even haggling over the price, Judas would quickly sell Christ for thirty pieces of silver. But Mary willingly gave her Lord an alabaster flask worth more than a year’s wages. Her only regret was that she could not give more. Judas exploited his relationship to Christ for personal gain, but Mary treasured her relationship with her Savior and only cared about His gain. By forfeiting earthly things, however, she gained the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus her Lord (Php 3:8).
Conclusion
Mary’s story is a heartwarming profile of humility, faithfulness and devotion. As the whole house was filled with the fragrance of Mary’s perfume, so the story of her warm and insightful worship has permeated everywhere in her memory (Mat 26:13). She encourages us to nurture our personal relationships with Christ, to lean on Him and to honor Him. As the spiritual nourishment Mary received at the feet of Christ can never be taken from her, so His generous support can never be taken from us if we bear His mild yoke and learn from Him. If we intentionally sit at the feet of our Savior and listen to Him, we too may acquire Mary’s depth of understanding, her faith and her passion for the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Bible quotations in this article are from the ESV.
