Mark 14 tells one of my favorite moments in Jesus’ ministry. It always brings me to a place of self examination, a place where I’m forced to look at me, a place where I must evaluate myself and the depth of my love for Jesus.
The word extravagant is defined as “exceeding the limits of reason or necessity, excessive, unreasonably high in cost” We don’t see a lot of what would be considered extravagant love for Jesus these days. There are few people, even within the church that love him more than they do themselves, their own agenda, possessions or comfort. Not everyone serves him with no thought of receiving anything in return. There are very few people who will sacrifice their pride, their possessions and their very life so that the Lord would be honored through their worship. Let’s be honest, extravagant worship evolves sacrifice and that is a foreign concept to much of the western church. There are not many who choose to love him extravagantly. As I looked at this story again, there we some questions I asked myself. Am I totally committed to Jesus in loving him and worshipping him extravagantly? Will I let my worship take me wherever it takes me, pay whatever it cost me?

Is Jesus more valuable to me than the things I possess in life? Am I willing to give up all I have to express extravagant love and worship to him? I was once asked to lay what was most precious in this life to me on the altar of sacrifice. It was the greatest struggle I have ever encountered, but sacrifice is not cheap. Like Mary’s ointment, it is costly.

Is he worth more to me than my pride? Have I reached a place in my walk with him where I no longer think or care what others think about my worship, what it looks like or involves. This is not an obstinate, nobody mess with me attitude that has the stench of pride all over it, and has no eternal value whatsoever. It is a love for Jesus that doesn’t care what I look like, how I appear, or how I’m characterized. Am I willing to suffer shame if it brings glory to him?

This lost world needs to witness our expressions of extravagant love for our Savior. It is time we fell head over heels in love with him again. Too often, we love the Lord between 10:00 and 12:00 on Sunday. We worship him when it fits our schedule and lifestyle. We love him when he doesn’t get in the way of what we want to do, where we want to go and what we want to accomplish in life. Few love him and worship him with reckless abandon, and extravagant love.

I can’t speak for you, but this great story convicts me to my core. I want to love him with extravagant love. I want to love him so much that he has control of all that I am and all That I possess. I want to worship him without fear or shame or without my foolish pride getting in the way. I want to love him like Mary loved him, I want to worship him extravagantly like she did. After all, he has done as much for me, maybe even more.

He deserves every bit of extravagant love and worship that we can give him.