BETHANY OR JERUSALEM?
Bethany was not the center of power; it was the center of affection. It sat just beyond the noise of Jerusalem—close enough to matter, far enough to breathe. There, Jesus was not weighed down by constant challenge and suspicion; He was welcomed, listened to, loved. In Bethany, He was not asked to prove Himself—He was invited to recline.
The question before us is not whether we know where Bethany is on a map, but whether we recognize it in the posture of our hearts. Will we see Bethany for what it truly is—the place where Jesus is comfortable among those who desire Him more than they desire to be right?
In Bethany lived Mary, Martha, and Lazarus—friends, not projects; companions, not critics. Martha served, Mary listened, and Lazarus rested in the miracle of life restored. Jesus wept there (John 11:35), not as a distant rabbi performing duty, but as a friend sharing sorrow. This was not legalism’s soil; it was love’s ground.
When Mary sat at His feet and listened to His word, Jesus said she had chosen “that good part, which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:42). Bethany teaches us that devotion begins not with doing, but with dwelling.
Then came the fragrance—the costly oil poured out in worship. Mary anointed His feet and wiped them with her hair, and the house was filled with the scent (John 12:3). Predictably, legalism protested. Judas calculated; Jesus defended love. “Leave her alone,” He said (John 12:7). Bethany exposes the difference between worship that counts the cost and worship that cannot help but give. Legalism always asks, Is this necessary? Love asks, How could I do less?
Jesus still seeks Bethany hearts. Not flawless ones—affectionate ones. Not hearts busy managing appearances, but hearts willing to break open what is most precious at His feet. He does not ask for your arguments, your scorekeeping, or your religious resume. He wants your worship; He wants your affection.
Bethany is the place where striving stops and love begins—where Jesus is not merely obeyed, but enjoyed.
____________
Lord Jesus, make my heart a Bethany—quiet enough to listen, humble enough to worship, free enough to love You without calculation. Deliver me from cold religion, and draw me into warm devotion; for You are worthy of my affection, not just my obedience. Amen.
BDD
