Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. (John 19:25, NIV)
While spending time with my daughter, Allyson, at her apartment in Los Angeles, we decided to watch a movie, pop some popcorn, and enjoy a “girls’ night in.” Only one problem–we couldn’t find a movie that we wanted to rent.
Just as I was about to give up on our “girls’ night in” plan, Ally grabbed the remote and began scrolling through all of the movies she had recorded from TV until she finally landed on “Grease.”
“No way!” I said, smiling as if I’d just been cast opposite John Travolta. “I can’t believe you have ‘Grease’ recorded! Best movie night ever!”
Probably like many of you, I grew up watching “Grease,” starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John.
My favorite scene? I love it when Olivia Newton -John, looking innocent and gorgeous in her simple nightgown, walks around the baby pool in the backyard singing, “Hopelessly Devoted to You.” (You’re singing along right now, aren’t you?)
Sandy was “hopelessly devoted” to Danny Zuko, and she poured her heart out in that song.
Hopelessly devoted.
Dictionary.com defines devotion as: “a commitment to some purpose; or a religious zeal; a willingness to serve God.”
Devotion is a very noble character trait. You can see glimpses of devotion in the arts and in everyday life. And, if you spend much time reading God’s Word, you’ll definitely encounter examples of devotion–especially in the story of the Cross.
Jesus was devoted to the Father–so much so–that he was willing to die a horrible death to fulfill God’s salvation plan so that we could spend eternity with him. And, though some of Jesus’s followers disassociated themselves from Jesus for fear of being crucified, too, the women didn’t disown him.
It tells us in John 19:25 that Mary, the mother of Jesus; Jesus’s aunt; Mary the wife of Clopas; and Mary Magdalene stayed at the foot of the cross, even though they were implicating themselves just by being there.
They were devoted to him. They loved him more than they loved themselves. They were willing to stay with him until the very end.
Even though I’ve read that passage of scripture many times, the last time I read it, I was taken aback by the devotion of these women. I wondered, “Would I have stayed at the foot of the cross, knowing I might be punished severely for showing my love and support of Jesus? Would I have been so devoted?”
Would you?
Are you devoted to Jesus? Do you love him more than you love yourself? Your job? Your family? Your money? Are you willing to spend time at the foot of the cross, just basking in his presence?
That’s what devotion is all about, but you know what’s so amazing about Jesus? The Word says if you seek him first, all of the other things will be added to you. It’s a win/win situation!
Unlike Olivia Newton-John, you won’t be “Hopelessly Devoted” when devoting your life to Jesus. Once you pledge your love and life to him, you’ll become “Hopefully Devoted.”
Jesus is all about hope. Your destiny lies in your devotion to him. So, go ahead and pledge your devotion to Jesus today. It’ll be your best decision ever!
