Extravagant Worship John 12:1-8 & Luke 7:36-50
Extravagant Worship is an action that honors G-D with concern only for His approval.
It is: #1 Spirit led, #2 High cost & #3 Impacts others.
#1 Spirit Led Action.
One Hebrew word for worship is Avodah. Avodah is an occupation or job. There is a strong sense of duty or obligation to this kind of worship. Miriam (Mary) does what she does out of immense gratitude for deliverance and the resurrection of her brother Lazarus.
In this case we are duty bound to honor Him in worship because He is worthy of our worship as a Creator and as our G-D who provides for us.
I believe that the same Miriam is the woman showing Extravagant Worship in both biblical passages above. The first time she comes into a room filled with religious non-worshippers and washes the feet of Yeshua (Jesus) with her tears and dries them with her hair. The second time, she pours out a bottle of fragrant oil upon His feet before His disciples and friends and uses her hair as a towel. Other passages mention her pouring the oil on His head.
#2 High Cost
Each time someone challenges Him or her about the display of Extravagant Worship. Each time He defended her worship and rebuked the accuser. She didn’t care about her reputation. She loved Him and the Spirit was leading her to worship Him this way.
The fragrant oil was worth a year’s wages. She could have sold it and given the money to the poor and missed a golden opportunity to have an intimate time of worship. While she was anointing His feet, she was alone with the king; nothing and no one else mattered.
Warning: Anyone else in the room will not be able to appreciate what you are experiencing while you are worshipping.
#3 Impact On Others
“ The house was filled with the fragrance…” Another passage tells us that she broke the bottle to open it. She broke the bottle. This was no, “just a little dab ‘ill do ya”; it was all or nothing. Because she broke the bottle, everyone in the house knew it.
Because she broke the bottle and poured it on Yeshua, the fragrance would stay with Him until He died. Because she broke the bottle and dried His feet with her hair, she also wore the fragrance of her Extravagant Worship.
3 Questions:
#1 How long does the fragrance of your time of worship stay with you?
#2 Can other people tell that you have been worshipping?
#3 Have you ever been accused of Extravagant Worship?
