Isaiah 42.1-9;
John 12.1-11
The palm fronds are discarded, the has crowd dispersed, gone back to their daily tasks or resuming their Passover pilgrimage. The village of Bethany, a little way from Jerusalem, is quietly busy as households begin their Passover preparations. Notice this contrast from the throngs of people with shouts of ‘Hosanna’ yesterday, to quiet instructions about tasks to be done today.
Jesus and his disciples are guests at the house of Lazarus, Martha and Mary. After probably three years of being in Jesus’ company, the 12 disciples now have settled into roles, assigned by common agreement, or self-defined. They form a tableau, like the cairns in the desert, though sometimes something disrupts their places. There are the ‘inner three’ confidants closest to Jesus: Peter, James and John; Judas, who looks after the common purse; Thomas who would risk death, he says (John 11.8,16), to stay with Jesus; and Andrew, who is adept at bringing to Jesus people whose gifts tend to be overlooked.
Who are the people in a group to which you belong, maybe family, friends, work colleagues, or a church community?
What is your role among them?
Mary steps out of her assigned role of being invisible while providing hospitality and comes over to the group. She approaches Jesus, and kneels beside his feet. Then she produces a phial of spikenard, a fragrant and extremely expensive oil, that she pours over Jesus’ feet; ‘and the sweet smell of the perfume filled the whole house’ (v.5, GNB). This gesture is extravagant in so many ways: the cost of the highly valued oil, the giving of it to Jesus (not keeping it for herself), the amount she poured out onto him, and the strength of the perfume.
Does it remind you of something extravagant that you have done, or of a costly gift you have received?
Jesus receives Mary’s loving offering silently. Words are not necessary.
Judas’s jarring reprimand, however, receives a rebuke from Jesus, as he commends Mary’s act, for having been done ‘for the day of my burial’. The oil is for healing, and for anointing. Mary’s gift is offering healing to Jesus for his suffering in the coming days; the Healer, Saviour, Salve-giver, receives the grace of this gift from Mary in a role-reversal that is a reciprocation of love.
Imagine yourself, like Mary, coming to Jesus. What do you bring with you?
Offer your gift(s) to Jesus.
How does Jesus respond to you?
What changes for you? (if anything changes)
In this gospel event, Jesus seems aware that he is approaching his death. Perhaps he also sees himself as the ‘Suffering Servant’ of Isaiah, ‘who will bring lasting justice to all’ (Is 42.3 GNB)
Where there is justice, there is healing, dignity, respect and a lack of fear of one another; and eventually there will be trust. It feels as though these attributes are in short supply in many parts of our world.
In your prayer this week, as you accompany Jesus to Calvary, his ‘desert in the city’, how might you continue to follow him in giving healing, dignity and respect in places where these are lacking?
If your offering feels insignificant, remember the boy who Andrew brought to Jesus, whose lunch of 5 loaves and 2 fish fed over 5,000 people.
In the desert, and out of it into the city, the garden or the sea,
‘God walks with you; the One who shaped the stones is shaping you still’
Sister Maureen CSF
