The Effects of Extravagant Devotion

The story of Martha and Mary in Scripture give a great contrast between distraction and devotion.

But the question remains – how devoted, how obsessed, how in love should we be with Jesus?

The answer is: extravagantly. Christianity is not a half-hearted pursuit of God, it is an all-out, completely obsessed, fully given over to seeking, loving, knowing, and being devoted to Him.

In this episode, we continue looking at the lives of Martha and Mary and see the effects of a life extravagantly devoted to Jesus Christ.

Listen to and Download the Episode

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Episode 60 Overview

In this episode …

• we will examine John 12:1-8, the story of Jesus at the house of Martha and Mary and the contrast of their two behaviors/positions
• you will discover how the position of intimacy (sitting at Jesus’ feet) is the place we are called to
• you will understand that God has called us to live lives of extravagant devotion and that such extravagance affects the world around us

Show Notes / Additional Resources

John 12:1-8 – Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it. But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. “For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.”

• Spikenard (faith) (verse 3) – a Greek word follows “spikenard” in the passage that we don’t translate into English: pistikos, meaning “faith”
  • In other words, the spikenard wasn’t merely a costly perfume, it was the very thing that Mary put her trust and faith in

Practical Thoughts

• Have you taken what you put your trust and faith in and “broken it” before the feet of Jesus?
• Remember, you are called to difuse the life of Christ to your world (see 2 Corinthians 2:14-16).
  • 2 Corinthians 2:14-16 – Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things?

Additional Resources to Help You Apply and Go Deeper

• Listen to the last episode #59 to learn more about Martha and Mary – called “Distracted or Devoted”

Prayer and Practicing God’s Presence

• Article: The Solution to a Dry, Depleted, or Desperate Life
• Article: The Need to Cultivate Daily Intimacy with Jesus
• Podcast 005: Five Ways to Grow in Your Spiritual Life – Prayer
• Podcast 016: Seek God’s Face (a Bravehearted Thot)
• Podcast 052: Five Types of Prayer in the Bible

Having Greater Obsession with Jesus

• Article: Why I Refuse to Live My Life … and think you should join me
• Podcast 030: What is Your Obsession?
• Podcast 048: The Christian Life in One Word: Obsessed

Join the Conversation

Question: What is one way you are cultivating devotion and intimacy with Jesus in your life?

Leave a response or ask a question and we will try to address it in a future episode.

The difficulty with podcasts is that they are one-sided—so each week I ask one question for you to participate in the conversation. Head over to the deeperChristian Facebook page to leave a comment and join in the conversation.

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About NRJohnson & the Deeper Christian Podcast

NRJohnson (Nathan Johnson) is a Christian who has an overwhelming passion for Jesus, the Gospel, and Studying God’s Word. He is a writer, teacher, and communicator who helps other believers understand and apply the Bible as they grow and mature in their faith—desiring that they gain greater intimacy with Christ, experience the victorious Christian life, and transform the world through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Read more about him here.

The Deeper Christian Podcast is the podcast to help you study God’s Word, know Jesus intimately, and discover how you can build your life around Jesus Christ. This weekly audio program, hosted by NRJohnson, dives into Scripture and encourages Christians to keep their focus upon Jesus Christ—equipping believers in how to study the Bible and know God’s Word, grow in their spiritual lives, and change the world. Main discussion topics center around practical advice on Christian living, Bible study, prayer, the Gospel, freedom from sin, evangelism and how to share your faith, the Christian disciplines, and the lives and messages from the Christian heroes from yesteryear such as A.W. Tozer, Charles Spurgeon, Major Ian Thomas, Oswald Chambers, Hudson Taylor, Amy Carmichael, Corrie Ten Boom, C.T. Studd, George Müller, Andrew Murray, Leonard Ravenhill, E.M. Bounds, and others. Learn more about the deeper Christian life.