You Compared To Mary

It’s good to pause and self-evaluate

How familiar are you with Mary Magdalene? How do you and I compare to her, and why would we even compare ourselves to her?

Her relationship with Jesus was unique and incredibly deep. Yet asking that question naturally leads us to another one: What kind of relationship do you and I have with Jesus Christ? It sounds like a simple question, but it may be one of the most important questions we ever ask ourselves.

Let me tell you about Mary. She was from Magdala, which is why she was called Mary Magdalene. Before meeting Christ, her life was truly broken. Scripture says, “Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out” (Luke 8:2). We are not given all the details, but it is safe to say she experienced spiritual bondage, deep suffering, confusion, and misery. Then she met Jesus, and He completely delivered her. Her life would never be the same.

That is the first comparison between Mary and us.

What has Jesus changed in your life that can never go back to the way it was? How different are you today from the person you were before Christ? What chains has He broken? What sins has He forgiven? What burdens has He lifted? If someone compared the old you to the person you are now, would they see evidence that Jesus has truly been at work?

Mary did not simply have an experience with Christ; she became one of His most devoted followers. She traveled with Him, supported His ministry financially, and remained close when many others pulled away. When Jesus was crucified, many of the disciples fled in fear, but Mary stayed. She was present at the cross (John 19:25). She watched Him suffer. She watched Him die. She saw where Joseph of Arimathea laid His body (Mark 15:47), and she witnessed the stone being rolled into place.

She simply could not tear herself away.

Then John tells us something that caused me to stop and write this today. “Early on the first day of the week… while it was still dark” (John 20:1), Mary went to the tomb. Why? She was not expecting a resurrection. She wasn’t arriving with confidence that Jesus would be alive. She simply wanted to be near Him, even in death. Wow.

Love got her out of bed early. Love brought her through the darkness. Love brought her to the tomb. And her love for Christ dominated all of her actions.

Mary lived with a gratitude that never seemed to fade. Jesus once said, “A person who is forgiven only a little will love only a little” (Luke 7:47). Mary knew exactly what Jesus had rescued her from. She knew what life had been before Him and what it became because of Him. The gratitude remained with her every day after her encounter.

She never got over what Christ had done for her. It never got old or routine.

That’s why it was Mary who arrived at the tomb first. It wasn’t Peter, John or other disciples. Mary, the woman whose life had been radically changed by the grace of God.

This brings me back to myself - and you. What effect does your encounter with Christ still have on you today? Not twenty years ago when you first believed, but still - today? Is it new every morning?

Does His grace still humble you? Does His mercy still amaze you? Does His love still move you? Do you still find yourself wanting to be near Him, wanting to know Him, wanting to please Him? Do you love Him or just what He can do for you? Or has your faith become mostly information, routine, and habit?

We all know that Christians are not perfect people. We still struggle, still fight battles, still wrestle with weakness and failure. But true believers keep running toward Christ. Like Mary, they keep coming back. They keep pursuing Him because they know what He has done for them. It’s a new, daily gratitude - or is it?

Mary’s life changed, and the evidence could be seen in her devotion, her priorities, her gratitude, and her love. And as she faithfully invested in the change (not study more), but changed, she grew.

When salvation is real, the change is deep. It affects the heart, the mind, the desires, and the direction of a person’s life. It is not merely learning something new; it is becoming someone new.

The Apostle Paul wrote, “When anyone is in Christ, it is a whole new world. The old things are gone; suddenly, everything is new!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NCV).

Are you really a new creation?

Do you have new desires? Do you have a growing sensitivity toward sin? Is there a brokenness over pride, selfishness, and disobedience that wasn’t there before? Do you find yourself loving things that honor God and slowly losing your appetite for things that pull you away from Him?

Have you had a change in your life like Mary?

This account strikes me deeply because it forces me to examine my own heart. It makes me evaluate what I truly love and what I spend my time pursuing. It causes me to ask whether my desires are becoming more like Christ’s desires and whether my love for God and people is growing stronger as I age.

I don’t want to simply know more about Jesus. I want to love Him more. I want to love God more. I want to love people more. And His words change me more every day. It’s really amazing - and exciting.

No, every day is not a mountain top experience, there are dry moments. But they are only moments. But, “The Lord’s love never ends; his mercies never stop. They are new every morning; Lord, your loyalty is great.” (Lamentations 3:22–23 NCV)

As I grow older, I want less of me and more of Him. I want to remain grateful for what He has done and never lose the wonder of His grace. Like Mary, I want my life to reveal that something happened when I met Christ and that the change continues even now.

LORD, thank You for changing my mind, my thoughts, my feelings, my desires, and my love. Thank You for rescuing me when I could not rescue myself. Continue to transform me into the person You want me to be. May there be more of You and less of me with every passing year. Help me never get over what You have done for me and never lose the gratitude that comes from knowing I have been forgiven much. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen. ♥️