True Charity?
Opening Prayer
Lord, turn me into a Mary.
Read John 12:1–11
Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” 6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.
7 “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”
9 Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, 11 for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.
New International Version (NIV)
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Reflect
“Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker” (Psa. 95:6). Spend a few moments expressing your own devotion to God.
John links the anointing at Bethany in time. The Scripture account points forward to the coming Passover (agreeing with the accounts in Matthew and Mark) and backward regarding both place and the persons of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. The connection with Lazarus is not mentioned in the other gospels; the fact that he himself was in jeopardy (10) might have led the earlier authors to omit any mention of him.
John’s Gospel is full of intrigue, and this story crackles with tension. As in Luke 10, Martha is busy with serving, as she no doubt sees fit. How does she view Mary’s action? Extravagant? Unnecessary? Improper? Attention-seeking? Why can’t Mary show her love in unobtrusive practical action as she is doing? What about the men there? How do they view Mary? As profligate or provocative? To let down her hair in that culture could easily be seen as a social faux pas. The disciples (in Matthew and Mark but personified in John by Judas) see another problem. They live from a
common purse and rely daily on the generosity of others (Luke 8:3), and if
Mary really wanted to support Jesus she should have donated the money to the purse. After all, Beth-any means “House of the Poor,” so she could hardly have missed the point.
Jesus’ comment is difficult to grasp but points yet again to a deeper
meaning attaching to her act. She has made this sacrifice out of her love and personal devotion to Jesus, but her act points beyond this: to Jesus’ own sacrifice out of his love and personal devotion to the world. Her sacrifice does not address care for the poor. Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 15:11 as a reminder that, while we must always care for them, such care must originate from our devotion to Jesus and his love for the world.
Apply
To what costly act of devotion is Jesus calling you? To what outward act of caring, as expression both of your devotion and of his love for the world?
Closing prayer
Lord, Your marvelous works continue to testify even to this day that You are the Son of God and the Savior of the World.
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