John 12:1-8; 20:1-181Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. 2There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. 3Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment. 4Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him, 5Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? 6This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein. 7Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this. 8For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always. (John 12:1‑8)
1The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. 2Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him. 3Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. 4So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. 5And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. 6Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, 7And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. 8Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed. 9For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead. 10Then the disciples went away again unto their own home. 11But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, 12And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. 14And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. 15Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. 16Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. 17Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. 18Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her. (John 20:1‑18).
The Lord comes out in the first few chapters of John as the Attractive One-the magnet, drawing the solitary ones to Himself in an irresistible manner. Why, they could not tell; only they followed Him. (See John 1) In these two scenes, in John 12, 20:1-18—we get the counterpart of this. Hearts which had been drawn to Him, when the fitting time was come, come out and do things far beyond their intelligence or light. Mary (John 12) loved the Lord, so did Martha-only differently. Martha loved Him according to the circumstances she was in, Mary loved Him according to what He was in Himself. (See Luke 10; John 11)
Mary had a purpose of heart for Him, and this led her as to what she did here in this sweet scene. Oh, that there was this purpose of heart found in the Church of God in these days! I want to see it, dear friends; I want it myself; I want it for you. Mary loved Him, and love will do anything that puts honor on its object. But more than this, I think she looked up to God to know how she might be used to honor Jesus. Her heart is one of God’s channels to unfold truth. She was in the wake of God’s thoughts—all she did was in season. In the grumblings of the disciples we find the principles of human nature—niggardliness as regards Him. The “gather up the fragments that remain” is God’s principle-viz., that there is more when all is over than when they began. It is always so with Him.
See Mary Magdalene (John 20)—the same principle was there: a purpose of heart for Him—shown out differently, it is true, but bringing her in deep blessing, as it always does. Hers was love without intelligence; her mind knew the spot where He was-she had seen Him buried. (Luke 23) Her heart was with Him dead; and she rises early, and comes to the spot—the spot where He lay, dearer than all else to her now, for the One who had so captivated her heart was there, although dead as far as she knew. She comes, and finds Him gone. Her heart, broken before, breaks afresh; and in her despair she runs and tells Peter and John, although they could not help her. It was strange she went to them. Had she reasoned, she would have said “Why are they not here also?” Out they came, and then John believed—not that the Lord had risen, but only that the body was gone! Then the disciples went away again to their own home-a low state of soul. Mary’s home was the sepulcher, for He was there; hence she comes early, and stays and weeps Mary fetched them out of nature’s scenes; and then, the full purpose of heart being wanting, they go back to those scenes. When they find Him gone, they “went away again unto their own home.”
But Mary was rivetted to the spot; nature forgotten, self-forgotten—all fear was gone as to what people might think of her strange doings—all fear of the keepers gone; her object, “My Lord! “God’s hand is again behind her, guiding her again. Hers was a heart that could be a channel for Him to use; so He keeps her to get rich blessing for herself first. This spot was very dear to her. Her heart was in a state for all that honors Christ to pass before it; so she sees angels, and by them God touches the spring of her heart. “My Lord! “Even angels do not distract her-she soon turns from them; but next to Christ, what can she see better than angels? Surely nothing. God causes her to see even that; but they cannot meet her heart. Then Jesus meets her. Her blind love draws Him to her: He cannot keep that loving heart any more waiting. He was her object, though dead: and she seeks Him dead-little thinking He was alive, and comes to tell her all His love. Living, she knew Him well. She sought Him dead; love had blinded her eyes. “Mary! “reveals Him to her-spoken as of old. The same old tone; yes, the same Jesus! “My Master! “falls from her lips. The severed link is joined again!
Then she gets the place of messenger about the resurrection, no little thing. Did she seek it, or want it? No! Purpose of heart procured her this noble place. He having sent her, she goes away happy. Joy is her heart, not simply in it; she was conscious of His glory in the message, and His approval of the love which had brought her there to bear the message-personal devotedness, though she did not know it. Her object did it all. His intention is to teach us Himself in resurrection. Our joy is to be henceforth in heaven. He says, as it were have a place prepared proper to me before my Father. Go, tell this to my brethren; but they may be quite at ease, for my Father is their Father-my God their God: not down here, but up there.” She gets this by purpose of heart.
Is all the truth given since the day of Pentecost: the truth of the Spirit—Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians—to lower this affection for Christ, to lower this purpose of heart? No, oh no. Which would you rather have been—Peter, James, or John, or Mary Magdalene? The three had many opportunities for gaining knowledge; the woman had a heart, a heart for Him. I would rather have been Mary. Christ ought to have had His feet anointed—He ought to have had some one watching at the grave. It was God’s purpose, for Christ was worthy. Blessed be God, there were hearts in those in full fellowship with God about Christ. A man acts from his heart, not from his intelligence.
May the Lord give His people this purpose of heart for Christ, for His name’s sake. Amen.