Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always

 And the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went from the country up to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves.  Then they sought Jesus, and spoke among themselves as they stood in the temple, "What do you think -- that He will not come to the feast?"  Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a command, that if anyone knew where He was, he should report it, that they might seize Him.

Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead.  There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him.  Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair.  And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.  But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, who would betray Him, said, "Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?"  This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.  But Jesus said, "Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial.  For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always."

- John 11:55-12:8

Over the course of the past several readings, we've read about the raising of Lazarus, which is the seventh and final sign in John's Gospel.  (See earlier readings from Saturday,  Monday, and Tuesday.)  Yesterday, we read that many of those from Jerusalem who had come to mourn with Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him.  But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did.  Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, "What shall we do?  For this Man works many signs.  If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation."  And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish."  Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.  Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death.  Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there remained with His disciples. 

And the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went from the country up to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves.  Then they sought Jesus, and spoke among themselves as they stood in the temple, "What do you think -- that He will not come to the feast?"  Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a command, that if anyone knew where He was, he should report it, that they might seize Him.  My study bible explains, "Because Jesus is the Lamb of God (1:29), the connection between the Passover and the death of Jesus is important, and John emphasizes it over and again (see 2:13, 23; 6:4; 12:1; 13:1; 18:28, 39; 19:14, 42)."

Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead.   My study bible points out that the text gives us the third Passover mentioned in John.  It is the beginning of the last week of Christ's earthly ministry, and all narrated in careful detail.  It tells us, "The time for signs and miracles has passed.  It remains for the Son of Man to be glorified through the completion of His mission (12:23; 13:31; 17:1, 5).   As Passover draws near, the Lord returns to Bethany to spend the Saturday before Palm Sunday at the home of His close friends, Lazarus, Mary and Martha."  .

There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him.  Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair.  And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.   Lazarus is at table with Jesus, part of His circle, going from the dead to the living.  Once again we note the consistent differences in the Gospels in the character and roles of Martha and Mary.   

But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, who would betray Him, said, "Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?"  This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.  But Jesus said, "Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial.  For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always."  My study bible suggests that the account of the anointing here "contrasts Mary's act of devotion -- the 'extravagance of love' -- with Judas's bitter cynicism.  Anticipating His death, Jesus considers the anointing to be a symbol of preparation of His body for burial."

I'm always struck by Mary's act of devotion, a true expression of love, called here "the extravagance of love."  Did she know what was coming?  We have to go to Mary's character, I think, to understand this better.  Mary is the one who sat at His feet while He was teaching, rather than serve with her sister, about which Martha complained to Jesus.  That was in Luke's Gospel.  In John, we've just read that she sat in mourning inside the house while Martha went out to greet Jesus, in an act of hospitality.  Again in today's reading, Martha serves, while it is Mary who expresses this tremendous act of love and devotion.  We can find love and devotion in serving, certainly, and in hospitality.  We can find love and devotion among His disciples.  None of these things are questioned.  But in Matthew's Gospel, Jesus tells the disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”  Our Savior connects with our love for Him.  Once again, we really have to observe that while every sign or miracle is accompanied by some sort of faith, here faith has deepened into a great, extravagant, act of love.  The greatest mystics have spoken of this love for Christ.  Christ Himself uses the word when He spoke of the greatest commandments:   To love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love neighbor as oneself.   (It's interesting to note that the word for neighbor means the one who is "nearby.")  If we look at the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke's Gospel, used to illustrate the answer to the question, "Who is my neighbor?", we find that it is an act of love that, in fact, defines just who a neighbor is.  Mary's great act of extravagance here shows us much more than her love and devotion to Christ, but is a vivid and living illustration of these greatest commandments.  It shows us what a heart full of love looks like, foolish and extravagant to others, and praised by Christ.  His words teach us again what "good judgment" is, that we can't -- as He's said earlier in John's Gospel -- judge by appearances, but we must judge by the heart.  And so, here Mary reveals her heart, via something she has saved up for the day of His burial, which she chooses to express to Him while He's still with her, even if it means doing so in front of others, and to subject herself to ridicule and criticism.  She breaks the "rules" for love.  Ironically, it's the "rule-keeper" here (Judas) who is the one who will betray Christ, whose behavior is ultimately self-centered (perhaps because of the public rebuke by Jesus in this scene).  It's the judgment of the heart that teaches really how much we love.  Let us remember that Jesus suggests here that with whatever measure we give love, that is the measure of who we are, that this story will be told as memorial to this woman wherever the gospel is preached.  It is her "remembrance" of Him that is expressed, and it becomes the memorial, throughout time, to herself.  So, how do we measure love?  How much is too much?  Consider in what way you invest your love, and how it is returned.  The greatest commandments, and all of Jesus' acts, tell us how love and relationship are entwined in faith, and how that faith grows and blooms in use.