Viral Worship
DEVOTIONS FOR GROWING CHRISTIANS
Viral Worship
Eight days ago, if I had told you that a simple “Kiss Cam” video would make global headlines, you might have laughed or thought I was exaggerating. Yet here we are — in a world where viral moments explode, flooding cyberspace with endless opinions, reactions, and judgments.
In this case, you might think the online reactions were mostly justified. But rewind a few weeks to the viral story about the little girl falling off a cruise ship. The internet’s snap judgments were largely misguided and based on very little information.
If social media had existed in Jesus’ time, Mary’s act of worship in John 12:1-8 probably would have gone viral too — drawing just as much criticism and second-guessing. In these verses, Mary, the sister of Lazarus, anointed Jesus with very costly perfume. She poured it all out and wiped His feet with her hair. This was a deeply personal and worshipful expression...
But not everyone saw it that way.
“Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor?” Judas asked, pretending to be concerned about generosity. Others joined in the criticism, as we see in Matthew and Mark’s versions of the event. (We should note that the incident in John may be distinct from those recorded in Matthew 26 and Mark 14, but the themes of costly devotion and unfair criticism are consistent.)
To the skeptical onlookers, Mary’s offering seemed unusual, wasteful, over-the-top, or performative. But Jesus saw her heart, and He defended her (John 12:7). Mary offered her most valuable possession to the One who deserved it most. While others made judgments, Jesus responded with appreciation and understanding, recognizing the depth of her love and devotion.
This story challenges us in two important ways:
1. Be slow to judge what you don’t fully understand.
We often see only a snapshot of someone’s actions and assume the worst.
A generous gift? It must be for show.
A spiritual post? It’s probably self-righteous.
A radical change in someone’s life? It has to be fake.
Why do we jump to so many negative conclusions? Proverbs 18:13 reminds us that “spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish.”
We don’t know what God’s been doing in another believer’s heart. What we criticize as “too much” might be exactly what God asked that person to give. Mary’s act looked extreme to others, but to Jesus, it was beautiful, timely, and meaningful. As 1 Samuel 16:7 says, “People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
What if we paused before reacting, prayed instead of posting, asked instead of assuming, encouraged instead of criticizing? Even when we think we have all the facts, we should be cautious. Psalm 1:1 warns us to not join in with mockers. And Jesus Himself told us we will be judged by the standard we apply to others (Matthew 7:1-2).
2. Don’t let misunderstandings stop your worship.
Mary could have held back. She could have thought, “What will people say? What if they don’t understand?” But she poured out her offering anyway. She loved Jesus more than she feared disapproval.
We see a similar scenario in 2 Samuel 6 when King David danced before the Lord. His wife criticized him for his public display of worship. But David’s response was clear: “It was before the Lord, who chose me...” His worship was not for the approval of others, but for God’s glory.
If God is leading you to serve, give, speak, or love, don’t let skeptical onlookers bring you down! People may not get it. They may criticize you. But Jesus sees your heart.
Mary’s act may have seemed excessive to some, but Jesus said it would be remembered wherever the Gospel is preached (Matthew 26:13). Now that’s a viral moment! An act of worship that echoes through the ages! In a world obsessed with views and shares, may our worship go “viral” in Heaven, not because it impresses people, but because it pleases God.
- Ron Reid