This gives the counterpart of the subject of John 1. Christ drawing in one case; in the other, power of purpose to cleave to Christ, and to no one else.
What we want, dear young friends, is a purpose of heart. We do not need mere knowledge, but purpose of heart, individuality of love to Christ; that He, and He alone, should be the magnet; every heart turning to Him; the Lord satisfying the heart; Christ the pole-star, drawing up all our hearts to Him as we go through the wilderness.
As to Mary—there was no particular light in sitting at His feet; she simply loved her Lord: her whole life being bound up in Him and His thoughts. In John 12:33Then 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. (John 12:3), she gives an expression of love, of the most-costly order—not only the box—but she wiped His feet with her hair (hair given to a woman as an ornament), and “the room was filled with the odor of the ointment”.
In Mary’s mind there was only one thought; and only one Person present, who could read the enigma of her strange doings. Did she wish to make a perfume? Did she even think of His death? Nay—personal attachment to the Lord alone, and the heart drawn up to God to know what to do to express it, to hear from Him how to put honor upon Jesus. Her thought was, “What most costly can I give Him”?
Judas was quite the opposite—How much shall I put in the bag? and, out of the abundance of the heart, both spoke. (How strange the way human nature works. He bids them gather up the fragments, that they may see that with God there is more in the end than in the beginning, for those who are in need; and now, when the One whom God delights to honor is present, they think of the poor!)
Then she got such a guidance from God! She did not know that He was going to die, but she heard from Him first that she was anointing Him for His burial. Her whole mind being set on Christ, God suggests to her the suited act, that she had not the intelligence to understand. The power of the Lord let her into something new. O, what a beautiful thing is the retired walk of one full of Christ! A channel prepared of God for His own purposes. What could have been wiser? It was in beautiful season, too. Not so the feasting and conversation: for who would prepare a feast for a beloved one who was about to be murdered? God honors His people by letting their loving purpose do the very thing He wants for His Son. She did the very thing that showed she was in practical fellowship, because Christ was the object. What a beautiful subject to speak with her upon—one whom God had thus put honor upon.
Where there is purpose of heart, it is brought into a most blessed place of privilege (Chap. 20). Mary’s thought was—My Lord lies buried, I will go and visit the spot; but her hopes are blasted when she finds the stone gone. She goes to the disciples: “We have lost the object of our love,” she says in effect.
The disciples had not the purpose of heart Mary had (Verse 10). “They went unto their own home,” shows how low in love even the best of His disciples were. Mary’s home was the sepulcher of her Lord! No sympathy or interest lay elsewhere; arid she is rivetted to the spot. No doubt the Lord kept her there to reap the reward of her unwearied love.
There was more attractiveness to her in Christ than in anything else; the angels did not surprise her (Verse 11). What were they to the One she wanted? Nothing can turn her off. The needle was quite true to the one point—her soul is in a state for all that honored. Christ, to pass before her (Verse 13). They draw from her the spring of her sorrow. “O, if you knew all that my Lord was to me, you wouldn’t be surprised at it.” “My Lord”! as if hers alone.
What a touching scene follows (Verses 14, 15). The Lord risen from the grave, cognizant of the state of all His disciples, sees this poor woman absorbed with Him, and communes with her to prove to her that His love for her is greater than hers for Him.
“Whom are you seeking?”
“If thou hast borne Him hence, tell me where thou hast laid Him, and I will take Him away.”
Though dead, she still wanted to have Him. Poor stupid thing that she was, she tells her living Lord, “O, but you are dead!” But He says, “Mary!” Whatever there was in that word, whatever the manner of naming her, she turned round with “Master!” She has now a live Christ! Mark how she got there. The Lord interferes, “Do not touch Me” (Verse 17). She received the place of messenger of resurrection—blessed post! How did she get it? With full purpose of heart, occupied so with the Lord that she was above all objects, and neither angels nor disciples turned her aside. What a heart she must have had, in going forth with the message to gladden and console the disciples! Here was her reward; all through she had no thought of personal devotedness; she thought of Christ. He had her heart. If your eye be single, you cannot divide between having an object, and following it.
“Touch Me not”, etc., refers to Leviticus 23, the first fruit and wave sheaf (Ver. 17). If she was to have real enjoyment in Him, she was to look up. He would be given her of the Father in a place suitable to Him, and she would be conscious of it. “Go to My brethren.” In heaven He could recognize them in this new relationship. “My Father, and your Father; My God, and your God”, blessed portion of sons of God brought out at Pentecost! A woman received this truth first of all simply by purpose of heart, beyond faith. Himself the object of worship in heaven increases the quantity of truth revealed, God finding and bringing souls into purpose of heart, into scenes into which Christ came. Knowledge is useless without the heart, but they ought not to be divided (See Paul, Peter, John). I would rather have less knowledge, but real purpose of heart for Christ and Christ Himself.
These (I mean women) are not vessels to be put forward outwardly, but Christ ought to have been anointed for His burial; Christ ought to have had someone to watch His tomb, and God used them to honor Him. The two greatest instances of Christ attracting the heart after Him, and their following in purpose of heart, therefore God using them to carry out His counsels as Father; to wash Christ’s feet, and greet His Son after His resurrection. O, for more purpose of heart for Christ among all the children of God!