Crazy Love for Jesus

September 10, 2026

Back in 2009 I was in a darker place in my faith than I realized at the time. God sent a reluctant messenger with a clear word, “If you will give God your whole heart, He will give you all the desires of your heart.” The Holy Spirit filled in the blanks. That message began a long and sometimes painful journey of confronting the places where my love for Jesus was half-hearted, partially committed, and divided.

That same tension appears in John 12. Mary takes a jar of expensive perfume, anoints Jesus’ feet, and wipes them with her hair. The house fills with the fragrance. Judas objects that the money could have been given to the poor. One person displays extravagant, wholehearted love. The other calculates the cost and holds back. Jesus defends Mary. Her act becomes a picture of what it looks like to love Him without reserve.

Most of us live somewhere between Mary and Judas. We love Jesus, but not with everything. In his book Crazy Love, Francis Chan describes this condition as lukewarm faith. Lukewarm people attend church regularly because it is expected of them. They give money, but only what does not affect their standard of living. They choose what is popular over what is right when the two conflict. They want to be saved from the penalty of sin more than they want to be freed from sin itself. They are inspired by stories of radical obedience, yet rarely act. Jesus is part of their lives, but He is not allowed to control everything.

The problem with lukewarm faith is that Jesus has strong words for it. In Revelation 3:16 we read, “So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” Lukewarm faith makes Him sick. The invitation of Scripture is not to a half-hearted, divided life. It is to obey the greatest commandment: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37).

Chan goes on to define “Crazy Love” in a way that is simple and searching, Jesus did not die so we could live half-hearted lives. The call of the gospel is not to comfortable, manageable Christianity. It is to a crazy love, the kind of love that holds nothing back. Mary’s act of pouring out expensive perfume and wiping Jesus’ feet with her hair is a picture of that love. It looks extreme only because we have grown used to something far less.

Jeremiah 29:13 promises, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” After the reluctant prophet spoke a word from God to me, it started a hard battle to cleanse me of some personal rebellion where God would say, “In these areas you are lukewarm, half-hearted, partially committed, and have divided loyalties.” It was a hard prophecy to hear. It was an even harder battle of wills between God and me that is still not finished. It has taught me a lot about giving God my whole heart, because I wanted God to grant all the desires of my heart. When we give God our whole heart, the desires of our heart begin to change. We start wanting what He wants.

The offer God made to me that day is the same offer He makes to every one of us. He is not interested in a portion of our lives. He wants the whole heart. Mary’s extravagant act still challenges us. She did not calculate the cost. She did not worry about what others would think. She simply poured out her best because she loved Jesus more than anything else.

Where in your life do you most recognize lukewarm faith? What would “crazy love” for Jesus look like in one practical area this week? How does Mary’s extravagant act challenge the way you currently follow Jesus? What might change if you truly gave God your whole heart?

I invite you to take an honest look at your own heart. Where has your love for Jesus become safe, partial, or divided? Ask Him to show you one area where you have been lukewarm. Then take one concrete step toward wholehearted love, whether in generosity, obedience, prayer, or sharing your faith. Crazy love is not reserved for pastors, missionaries, or extreme Christians. It is the normal expectation of every follower of Jesus.

The fragrance of Mary’s perfume filled the house. When we give Jesus our whole heart, the aroma of that love still spreads, and our lives exalt Jesus’ name. (To learn more about Al Earley or read previous articles, see www.lagrangepres.org. You can purchase my book, My Faith Journal, at Amazon.com, a compilation of 366 articles as a daily devotional. Check out my podcast on YouTube, called “My Faith Journey”).