The work of Mary was just the lesson the disciples needed to show them that the expression of their love for Him would be pleasing to Christ. He had been everything to them, and they did not realize that soon they would be deprived of His presence, that soon they could offer Him no token of their gratitude for His great love. The loneliness of Christ, separated from the heavenly courts, living the life of humanity, was never understood or appreciated by the disciples as it should have been. He was often grieved because His disciples did not give Him that which He should have received from them. He knew that if they were under the influence of the heavenly angels that accompanied Him, they too would think no offering of sufficient value to declare the heart's spiritual affection.

Marias handlemåde var netop det, som disciplene trængte til for at vise dem, at det ville glæde Kristus, hvis de gav udtryk for deres kærlighed til ham. Han havde været alt for dem, og de gjorde sig ikke klart, at de snart ville komme til at savne hans tilstedeværelse, at de snart ikke mere ville kunne give ham noget bevis på deres taknemmelighed for hans store kærlighed. Kristi ensomhed, medens han var adskilt fra de himmelske boliger og levede et menneskes liv, blev aldrig forstået eller påskønnet af disciplene, som den burde have været det. Han var ofte bedrøvet, for hans disciple ikke gav ham det, som han burde have fået af dem. Han vidste, at hvis de havde været under indflydelse af de himmelske engle, som ledsagede ham, ville heller ikke de have anset noget offer for at være af tilstrækkelig værdi til at give udtryk for hjertets åndelige kærlighed.