Episode 53: The True Test of Loyalty
Loyalty may feel like an old-sounding word—much like a lost art. People are busy climbing over one another to get to an elusive “top.” Trying to be popular or the most liked and often stepping over or on those who can’t help them get there. Even though it may seem rare, loyal people are a treasure.
To be loyal means to have unswerving allegiance. Genuinely having someone’s best interest at heart. It’s faithfulness…and keeping your word in steadfast reliability. What a gift!
The Bible speaks of an unlikely woman who exhibited the truest form of loyalty to Jesus. She was completely sold out and radically committed. This woman is Mary Magdalene.
Although we think of her in different ways (most think she was a prostitute, but that is never explicitly mentioned in the Bible), she was actually a gifted leader and the first evangelist for Jesus.
We first see her mentioned in Luke 8:1-3. This is her TESTIMONY MOMENT as Luke describes her encounter with the Lord. Seven demons left her, and the women she traveled with (there were several) also received healing from “evil spirits and sicknesses.” Mary’s testimony moment shaped and nurtured the way she lived loyally to the one who set her free. Loyal women live with the knowledge that serving authentically in relationships reflects the passion for what they’ve been freed from.
We see her LIFE RESPONSE as these verses emphasize that women supported the life of the disciples traveling with Jesus from their own means. You can tell a lot about a person by looking at their bank account. A loyal man or woman will honor, and at times, sacrifice for the needs of others, because their commitment to God and others goes beyond mere materiality.
Finally, we see Mary’s LOYAL LEGACY. John 20 tells the story of Mary running to the tomb of Jesus before dawn. When she sees the stone rolled away, she hurries to tell the disciples.
When the other guys arrive and realize the body is gone, Peter and John leave the tomb, but Mary, who is overcome with emotion, doesn’t leave with them. In fact, she stays and weeps over the “missing” body of Jesus. Even in her pain and confusion, she is looking only for the Lord.
Loyal men and women serve through pain and confusion, instead of running from it. They know the final outcomes are up to God, but growth and character on the way to an outcome…is up to them.
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