Two kinds of Christians

The interesting account of the anointing of the Lord Jesus Christ by Mary of Bethany and the subsequent indignation of Judas Iscariot is not just one of the many historical accounts of Jesus’ encounter with social outcasts. Instead it is a powerful revelation of two kinds of Christians existing in the church today.
The one is a converted Christian and the other is an unconverted Christian. They exist in the same church and are both registered regular members. They serve the same God but for different purposes.
The converted one serves and worships God for who He is while the unconverted one serves and worships God for the material benefits he gets from Him. Their ideas of religion are opposite.
On one hand the converted Christian’s idea of religion is loving God with all of his heart, mind, soul and strength. This one regards God as his most treasured possession so he submits his body as a living sacrifice to God and uses every resource at his disposal to worship God.
He genuinely honours and reverences God. He can go to any length in sacrificial giving towards God because he has set his love upon Him. He does everything motivated by the love of God. On the other hand the unconverted one has a commercialised religion in mind. He is only after benefits like money, welfare programs and church help on social events such as weddings and funerals.
If he cannot gain anything material from the church, he is disappointed, and may hop on to the next church. When others give sacrificially to God for the sake of the gospel, he is outraged. He wants them to give in such a way that he will benefit from it. His focus is not God’s honour but the welfare of people and fun, of which he is a part. He is motivated by lust in all his doings.
When you analyse the passage of scripture above you will find that Mary of Bethany was a converted person. She anointed the Lord Jesus Christ with a very expensive perfume made of pure nard. That was her strongest asset for she had been a prostitute before conversion.
Because of her love of God, she ‘spoiled’ him with her costly, precious perfume until the pleasant smell of the ointment filled the whole room. As if that was not enough she went ahead and wiped the Lord’s feet with her hair. She first gave the best of her resources to the Lord and then gave herself for the Lord’s service. She was a genuine convert and a serious God-lover. She sacrificed her costly resource and she also sacrificed her body all for the comfort of the Lord.
Her idea of religion consisted in sacrificial love for God. And her love earned her lasting honour and posthumous influence. Jesus said that her work of love would always be part of His gospel for her anointing was timely service. It was a God-inspired prophetic act to be done in preparation for the burial of Jesus’ body.   
The gospel of John set the price of the spikenard ointment on three hundred pence. The realisation of this price caused Judas Iscariot to be furious. He harshly rebuked that woman for wasting resources. He suggested that the perfume was supposed to have been sold and the money given to the poor.
Since he was the treasurer, he wanted to steal the money. Here is a man who was walking with Jesus everyday but had no honour and reverence for the Lord. He had failed to show love for God even in the least way. But he was outraged at those who ministered to the Lord out of their own personal belongings. After Jesus’ rebuke and correction of a common error many people make of exalting service and giving to the poor above loving the Father of the fatherless, Judas went and covenanted with the religious officials, unconverted people of a kindred spirit with his, to sell Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. At last his materialistic spirit of religion was exposed. He was prepared to sell the Lord for nuts while Mary was prepared to sacrifice all her best in the honour of the Lord. What a sharp contrast!
Let me bring it home to you. Why are you going to church? Why are you serving Christ? Is genuine love for Christ your motivation for being part of the Christian community? Or you are after benefits the Christian society can give to you?
It is time you examined yourself and find out your real motivation. If you are like Mary your sacrifices of love towards that Lord are not in vain they will afford you a crown of righteousness in heaven but if you are like Judas your lust for things of this world will cause you die in sorrow that leads to condemnation When will you learn that the best things that happen to you and that you do are done for love?
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