Worship That Costs Something | Worship, Part 4
Key Truth | True worship doesn't measure what it costs to give. It is captivated by the worth of the One receiving it. Nothing surrendered at the feet of Jesus is ever wasted.
Key Scripture | “Then, being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper… a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head.” — Mark 14:3 NKJV
There is something about genuine worship that is always costly.
Not because God demands a price from us, but because love has never been content to give what is merely convenient. When we truly recognize who Jesus is and all He has done for us, worship naturally becomes extravagant.
That's exactly what we see in the story of the unnamed woman in Bethany.
When she entered the room carrying an alabaster flask, everyone noticed what was in her hands. What they didn't realize was that she wasn't simply carrying perfume. She was carrying years of sacrifice. The fragrant oil inside that flask was worth nearly a year's wages. It represented tremendous value, something she had likely treasured and protected for a long time.
Yet when she came before Jesus, she didn't hesitate. She broke the flask and poured it all out. There was no calculation, no hesitation, and no attempt to preserve a portion for herself. In one act of worship, she gave everything she had been holding.
Almost immediately, the criticism began. "Why was this fragrant oil wasted?" To those in the room, her worship looked excessive, impractical, and unnecessary. But that single word, wasted, reveals the difference between the perspective of a spectator and the perspective of a worshiper.
A spectator measures value by what is gained. A worshiper measures value by Who receives it. The room saw waste. Jesus saw worship.
Isn't it amazing how easily we can think like the spectators? We may never question someone for pouring out expensive perfume, but we often calculate our own devotion. We wonder whether spending that much time in prayer is really necessary. We hesitate to surrender something we've been holding tightly, or we quietly ask whether complete obedience is worth the cost.
The world is always asking whether worship is worth it. Faith has already settled the question.
Jesus is worthy.
There's another detail in this story that is easy to overlook. She didn't simply open the flask and pour out a little. She broke it. Once it was broken, there was no putting it back together, no saving some for another day, and no keeping a reserve for herself.
Everything belonged to Jesus.
Perhaps that's where many of us struggle. We're willing to offer Him a few drops of our lives, but we're hesitant to break the jar. We like to keep part of ourselves in reserve—our plans, our comfort, our reputation, our resources, or the illusion that we're still in control.
But worship has never been about giving God our leftovers. It has always been about wholehearted surrender.
That's why Paul urges believers in Romans 12 to present their lives as living sacrifices. A sacrifice always costs something, not because God delights in taking from us, but because surrender has always required trust. Every time we place our time, our pride, our future, or our desires into His hands, we're declaring that Jesus is worth more than whatever we're laying down.
That is worship.
What I love most about this story is Jesus' response. While everyone else criticized her devotion, Jesus defended it. He honored what others questioned and called beautiful what others called waste. Then He made an astonishing promise: wherever the gospel would be preached, her act of worship would be remembered.
And two thousand years later, it still is.
She isn't remembered because she preached a sermon, performed a miracle, or held an important position. She's remembered because she loved Jesus enough to pour everything at His feet.
What if that's the kind of legacy God wants to leave through our lives?
Not simply what we accomplish for Him, but how completely we surrender to Him.
As we celebrate forty years of God's faithfulness at Opendoor, may we never become people who calculate worship. May we never measure our response by what it costs us instead of by what Christ is worth. Nothing surrendered at His feet is ever wasted.
The world may call it excessive.
Jesus calls it beautiful.
Today, don't ask, "How little can I give?" Instead, ask, "Jesus, what are You worthy of?" Then trust Him enough to respond. Nothing poured out at His feet is ever wasted.
Reflection | Take a few moments to ask the Lord if there's anything you've been holding back from Him. Have you become comfortable offering what is convenient instead of what is costly? Is there an area of your life you've kept in reserve because it feels too valuable to surrender?
Prayer | Father, thank You for giving everything for me through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Forgive me for the times I have measured my worship instead of freely offering my life to You. I don't want to give You only what is convenient or hold part of my heart in reserve.
Teach me to trust You enough to surrender completely. Give me the courage to lay down whatever I'm still holding onto, knowing that nothing offered to You is ever wasted. May my worship be marked by wholehearted love rather than careful calculation, and may my life become a beautiful offering that brings You glory. In Jesus' name, amen.
Additional Scriptures
Key Scripture | “Then, being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper… a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head.” — Mark 14:3 NKJV
There is something about genuine worship that is always costly.
Not because God demands a price from us, but because love has never been content to give what is merely convenient. When we truly recognize who Jesus is and all He has done for us, worship naturally becomes extravagant.
That's exactly what we see in the story of the unnamed woman in Bethany.
When she entered the room carrying an alabaster flask, everyone noticed what was in her hands. What they didn't realize was that she wasn't simply carrying perfume. She was carrying years of sacrifice. The fragrant oil inside that flask was worth nearly a year's wages. It represented tremendous value, something she had likely treasured and protected for a long time.
Yet when she came before Jesus, she didn't hesitate. She broke the flask and poured it all out. There was no calculation, no hesitation, and no attempt to preserve a portion for herself. In one act of worship, she gave everything she had been holding.
Almost immediately, the criticism began. "Why was this fragrant oil wasted?" To those in the room, her worship looked excessive, impractical, and unnecessary. But that single word, wasted, reveals the difference between the perspective of a spectator and the perspective of a worshiper.
A spectator measures value by what is gained. A worshiper measures value by Who receives it. The room saw waste. Jesus saw worship.
Isn't it amazing how easily we can think like the spectators? We may never question someone for pouring out expensive perfume, but we often calculate our own devotion. We wonder whether spending that much time in prayer is really necessary. We hesitate to surrender something we've been holding tightly, or we quietly ask whether complete obedience is worth the cost.
The world is always asking whether worship is worth it. Faith has already settled the question.
Jesus is worthy.
There's another detail in this story that is easy to overlook. She didn't simply open the flask and pour out a little. She broke it. Once it was broken, there was no putting it back together, no saving some for another day, and no keeping a reserve for herself.
Everything belonged to Jesus.
Perhaps that's where many of us struggle. We're willing to offer Him a few drops of our lives, but we're hesitant to break the jar. We like to keep part of ourselves in reserve—our plans, our comfort, our reputation, our resources, or the illusion that we're still in control.
But worship has never been about giving God our leftovers. It has always been about wholehearted surrender.
That's why Paul urges believers in Romans 12 to present their lives as living sacrifices. A sacrifice always costs something, not because God delights in taking from us, but because surrender has always required trust. Every time we place our time, our pride, our future, or our desires into His hands, we're declaring that Jesus is worth more than whatever we're laying down.
That is worship.
What I love most about this story is Jesus' response. While everyone else criticized her devotion, Jesus defended it. He honored what others questioned and called beautiful what others called waste. Then He made an astonishing promise: wherever the gospel would be preached, her act of worship would be remembered.
And two thousand years later, it still is.
She isn't remembered because she preached a sermon, performed a miracle, or held an important position. She's remembered because she loved Jesus enough to pour everything at His feet.
What if that's the kind of legacy God wants to leave through our lives?
Not simply what we accomplish for Him, but how completely we surrender to Him.
As we celebrate forty years of God's faithfulness at Opendoor, may we never become people who calculate worship. May we never measure our response by what it costs us instead of by what Christ is worth. Nothing surrendered at His feet is ever wasted.
The world may call it excessive.
Jesus calls it beautiful.
Today, don't ask, "How little can I give?" Instead, ask, "Jesus, what are You worthy of?" Then trust Him enough to respond. Nothing poured out at His feet is ever wasted.
Reflection | Take a few moments to ask the Lord if there's anything you've been holding back from Him. Have you become comfortable offering what is convenient instead of what is costly? Is there an area of your life you've kept in reserve because it feels too valuable to surrender?
Prayer | Father, thank You for giving everything for me through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Forgive me for the times I have measured my worship instead of freely offering my life to You. I don't want to give You only what is convenient or hold part of my heart in reserve.
Teach me to trust You enough to surrender completely. Give me the courage to lay down whatever I'm still holding onto, knowing that nothing offered to You is ever wasted. May my worship be marked by wholehearted love rather than careful calculation, and may my life become a beautiful offering that brings You glory. In Jesus' name, amen.
Additional Scriptures
- Mark 14:3–9
- John 12:1–8
- Romans 12:1–2
- Psalm 51:16–17
- Philippians 3:7–8
- Hebrews 13:15–16
- 2 Samuel 24:24
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