Commitment is exactly what the gospel is all about. It is why Jesus calls us to make disciples rather than to evangelise for salvation. Samson may have messed up his call but he was committed and knew that meant he might even have to die himself in order to fulfill the call of God in his life.

Now the lords of the Philistines gathered to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to rejoice, and they said, “Our god has given Samson our enemy into our hand.” And when the people saw him, they praised their god. For they said, “Our god has given our enemy into our hand, the ravager of our country, who has killed many of us.”^[g]And when their hearts were merry, they said, “Call Samson, that he may entertain us.” So they called Samson out of the prison, and he entertained them. They made him stand between the pillars.        Judges 16:23-25  ESV

Jesus came not as a temporal prince, but preached repentance, reformation and a holy life. He moved and directed our thoughts and affections and even our dreams to another world. For this, the religious leaders sought to destroy Him.

Remember the Garden incident:

And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.  Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man. Seize him and lead him away under guard.”  And when he came, he went up to him at once and said, “Rabbi!” And he kissed him.  And they laid hands on him and seized him.  But one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant^[e] of the high priest and cut off his ear.  And Jesus said to them, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me?  Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled.” And they all left him and fled.  And a young man followed him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body. And they seized him,  but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked.  Mark 14:43-52  ESV

Peter cuts off the ear of a man – what an illustration to say that it is easier to fight for Christ than to die for Him. Is there a difference between faulty disciples and hypocrites?  Hypocrites can rashly and without thought call Jesus their Master, even expressing great affection. In the end though, they would betray Him and His followers.

In the midst of my thinking of commitment today, I ran across this verse prior to the one above.

But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me.  For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me.  Mark 14:6-7  ESV

A time for sacrificial worship. Jesus protects her as she worships. Her commitment was  humility – she offered more of that than any of the disciples. Remember that Jesus had just rode into Jerusalem as a King – shouldn’t kings be anointed? Mary understood this, it would seem the disciples did not.