Loyalty: Mary Magdalene's Warrior SpiritSample

Meeting the Needs of Jesus

Mark 15:40-41 (NIrV) says: “Not very far away, some women were watching. Mary Magdalene was among them. Mary, the mother of the younger James and of Joseph, was also there. So was Salome. In Galilee, these women had followed Jesus. They had taken care of his needs. Many other women were also there. They had come up with him to Jerusalem.”

At first, it may seem blasphemous to say that Jesus has needs. However, recognizing this truth as revealed in Scripture is an essential step toward spiritual maturity and cultivating a heart of gratitude for all that Jesus’s death and resurrection have made available to us.

We serve a God who meets our needs, yet in His sovereignty, He chooses to co-labor with us to meet His own needs. What a profound honor this is, bestowed upon us by God! As 1 Corinthians 3:9 (AMP) declares: "For we are God’s fellow workers [His servants working together]; you are God’s cultivated field [His garden, His vineyard], God’s building."

Mark 15:40-41 reveals that Mary Magdalene and other women actively met Jesus's needs. They ministered to Him by dedicating their time and material resources to His ministry, which included works such as giving to the poor (John 13:29). Like soldiers, they were serving their commanding officer, Jesus. Even today, Jesus calls on us to serve Him with our time, efforts, and finances (Colossians 3:23-24). When we share the Good News (1 Timothy 2:4), provide for the poor, and support the vulnerable, we are actively meeting the needs of Jesus.

In Matthew 25:35-40, Jesus makes this declaration: “For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You as a stranger and invite You in, or naked and clothe You? And when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of Mine, you did it for Me.’”

Take a moment to reflect and say these words from your heart: “Jesus, show me how to meet Your needs today. I am at your service. I present my body as a living sacrifice.” Then, be still for a few minutes, listening for direction.