Dharius Daniels - No Shame In My Game

Luke chapter 7, verse 36 says that when one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, He went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was at the Pharisee’s house. So she came with an alabaster jar of perfume. She stood behind Him at His feet, weeping, and began to wet His feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and poured perfume on them. When the Pharisee who invited Him saw this, he said to himself, «If this man were a prophet, he would know who was touching him and what kind of woman she is; she’s a sinner.» I want to pause for the cause; I want to talk from this subject in our time together: «No shame in my game.» No shame in my game, family.

This passage presents to us one of the most prominent women in the New Testament; she is known as Mary from Magdala or Mary Magdalene. Although she was not one of the Twelve Apostles, she traveled extensively with Jesus, being one of His followers. She was so connected to the cause of Christ that in Luke chapter 8, verses 2 through 3, Dr. Luke lets us know that she was supporting the ministry of Jesus out of her own limited means. Some historians list and label her, watch this, as the second most influential woman in the New Testament, besides Jesus’s mother. She is mentioned more than 12 times in the Gospels, which is more than most of Jesus’s disciples.

She was present with Jesus in some of the most significant situations in His life and ministry. Listen to this: when others were absent, she was present. When the disciples intentionally abandoned Jesus due to fear of reprisal for being associated with Him, she was there. When others demonstrated an unwillingness to be associated with Him because it was unpopular, she was there. When Peter denied Him, she didn’t. When Thomas doubted Him, she wouldn’t. When James and John jockeyed for positions of prominence and promotion, she just filled her role. She didn’t need the stage; she didn’t need the spotlight. Her motives and her emotions were pure.

When they crucified Him at the cross, she was there; and on that Sunday morning when He rose from the grave, she was on her way to the tomb to anoint His body. She was also one of the first people instructed to carry the message that Jesus was resurrected. Jesus told Mary, «Go tell the disciples I got up.» St. Augustine from Hippo, that North African bishop, said that Mary was an apostle to the apostles. In case I hadn’t painted a clear picture, Mary was a remarkable woman, and I came today to unashamedly announce that if Jesus needed a Mary, so do we. Every man who wants to be like Jesus needs to have a woman in his life who is willing to be like Mary. They need a mama who will be like Mary, a sister who will be like Mary, a daughter who will be like Mary, a wife who will be like Mary, a fiancée who will be like Mary, a friend who will be like Mary. Mary was ride or die. When they crucified Him, she was there. When they left Him, she was there. When they liked Him, she was there; when they didn’t, she was there. We need a Mary.

The enemy knows that our culture needs Marys. Our companies need Marys. Our communities need Marys. Our churches need Marys. So the adversary does everything in his power; he throws everything in his arsenal at Marys, watch this; don’t miss this, because he wants to keep Marys hidden. He wants to keep Marys hidden and held hostage. But I believe that this Mary from Magdala, a city not too far from Galilee, offers some amazing insight for those of us receiving this revelation today. It’s interesting because the text says that Jesus is invited to a religious leader’s (a Pharisee’s) house. Now, we later find out this Pharisee is named Simon. Mary isn’t even invited; she didn’t even get an evite, a text, or a DM saying what’s going on. She found out Jesus is at the house and crashed the party.

So you need somebody like that in your life. They say, «Oh, you scared?» If you’re scared, say you’re scared. I’m not afraid; wherever Jesus is, that’s where I want to be. So she operates with a degree of boldness. It’s interesting; she goes to a party she wasn’t even invited to. She’s going through the crowd: «Excuse me, excuse me, excuse me.» And then, watch this, she comes with a gift that wasn’t even for the house; she comes with a gift that was for the guests. In other words, she’s clear—she’s a woman that’s clear. I’m not gonna bother this, but she’s gone through so much; God has used the pain of her past to condition her personality to the degree that she’s not imprisoned by the opinions of others. So she can walk unashamedly in a room full of people and say, «I love y’all, but I’m not here for you. Yeah, I love y’all, but I’m not here for you. I am here for Him.» And your stares are not going to run me off; your murmuring is not going to run me off; and your opinions about whether or not I deserve to be here are not going to deter me. Y’all, when you’ve got a Mary attitude, you don’t let anybody push you out of where Jesus plants you.