Jan 20

Mary was interested in Jesus as a person, not only as someone to serve. As we have seen, this is evidence that she loved him. For even serving someone can be a selfish act. We do derive pleasure from doing things for others: We can even serve others for selfish motives.

There is nothing wrong with deriving pleasure from doing something for someone else. But if that is the only reason or even the main reason that we do it, then we have the wrong motive. Our motive for serving someone else tells us whether we love that person. That is why it is possible to do everything God tells us to do and yet not please him: because we do it as a means to earn his favor or because it caters to our pride in what we can do, or simply because it gives us pleasure, instead of simply doing it because we love him.

So we have as a reminder the contrast which Scripture draws between the love for Jesus which these two sisters, Mary and Martha, showed for their Master.

If Mary and Martha can represent the first two levels of love for Jesus, why choose the jar-woman to represent the third and deepest level? What makes her love yet different from the other two? It is the risk she takes in coming to Jesus. Yes, there definitely is a risk in loving someone.

What risks have you taken by loving Jesus?

Scripture for today: Song of Songs 5:5-8
Thought for today: Love involves risk.
Prayer for today: Lord, I ask you to strengthen me and to deepen my love for you, so that I am willing to risk all for you, even as you risked all for me.

JAN 20