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 

 

On Saturday we read that many of people from Jerusalem who had come to Mary when mourning Lazarus, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him (see this reading for the raising of Lazarus).  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 our 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 tells us that, because Jesus is the Lamb of God (John 1:29), the connection between the Passover, when lambs were slaughtered to save the Jews from death (Exodus 12:1-13), and the death of Jesus, which saves humankind from sin and death, is continually emphasized.  This is the third Passover of Christ's earthly ministry, and it is the final year of His earthly life. 

 

 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.  Jesus comes early toward Jerusalem as pilgrim for the Passover, and arrives in Bethany which is east of Jerusalem, and the home of His friends Martha, Mary, and Lazarus.  (See John 11 for the story of the raising of Lazarus, Christ's seventh and final sign given in John's Gospel.)  As noted above, this is the third Passover mentioned in John's Gospel (see John 2:13; 6:4), and frames the setting for the final week of Christ's earthly life (Holy Week).  The following week will be given to us in careful detail.  My study Bible comments that Jesus had already been glorified through His signs and words; at this stage it remained for Him to be glorified through His death and Resurrection.  Note that Martha served, in keeping with the consistent portrayal of her character in the Gospels.  Lazarus is now a person who is the object of tremendous attention from both the people and the religious authorities (as we will read in tomorrow's lectionary reading); here he sits at table with Christ, clearly alive and well.

 

  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."  My study Bible comments that the other disciples said to the same thing Judas said, but with a very different motive (see also Matthew 26:6-13).  Judas spoke from greed, it notes, while the others spoke from the virtue of charity.  That Jesus had put a thief in charge of the money, it says, shows that by every means Jesus attempted to save Judas:  He fulfilled his lust for money; He allowed Judas to exercise apostolic authority (John 6:11; see also Mark 6:7); He washed Judas' feet with the other disciples (John 13:5); and He allowed him to partake at the table of the Mystical Supper (John 13:26).  But Judas could never overcome his greed.

Given our recent readings and commentary, perhaps the first thing we might notice is once again the contrast between these two sisters.  Martha, the one consistently portrayed by the Gospels engaged in active service, serves her guests at the table.  But Mary is silent in today's reading; she's not reported saying a word but takes a pound of very costly oil of spikenard in to the place of this supper.  One might suppose that a pound of such costly ointment would truly be very high in value; however, it is more the quantity that seems quite impressive here.  An entire pound of any type of essential oil is a very large quantity, and there is no doubt of that the fragrance surely filled the house.  Spikenard, according to this article, is made from a type of plant related to honeysuckle.  Mary's astonishing act needs no speech; it is so eloquent that it speaks for itself.  But Jesus does speak up for her, and declares that "she has kept this for the day of My burial."  To save an anointing oil for burial must have been quite an act of love in and of itself, a testimony to the depth of friendship among these people, and to Mary's reverence for Jesus.  For such oils were used to prepare a body for burial, a final loving act.  Indeed, the first ones to receive the good news of Christ's Resurrection will be the women who come to Christ's tomb to anoint His body for burial, and they are known as the Myrrh-bearing women to us in the Church.  But this Mary, perhaps knowing already what is to come (perhaps she is aware the religious leaders already plot against Him), and that it is the result of His raising her brother Lazarus from the dead, anoints His body with this oil she has been saving for the day of His burial.  Wiping His feet with her hair, she enacts the great pose of giving Christ supreme honor, showing that she understands who He is, and perhaps even a sense that He will die for the love of them all.  Theodore of Mopsuestia comments that Mary’s act of love should be seen for what it was, an honor given to our Lord, who would not be long among them, rather than pitted against the idea of caring for the poor, which (according to John's Gospel) was not really Judas’s primary concern.  St. Ambrose comments that Judas valued Mary's act of love at a much higher price than he would be paid for the very life of Christ, writing, "O traitor Judas, you value the ointment of his passion at three hundred pence, and you sell his passion at thirty pence. Rich in valuing, cheap in wickedness!" (On the Holy Spirit).  Clearly Christ Himself pronounces this extravagant act of love on the part of Mary to be quite precious, saying, "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 so it is, and so we understand.  May all our generous acts of love be as precious and, indeed, priceless -- and so very graciously received as by the author of grace Himself. 

 

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 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 

 

On Saturday we read that many of those who had come to Mary from Jerusalem (to accompany her in mourning Lazarus), 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 that, because Jesus is the Lamb of God (John 1:29), the connection between the Passover, when lambs were slaughtered to save the Jews from death (Exodus 12:1-13), and the death of Jesus, which saves humankind from sin and death, is continually emphasized.  

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 table with Him.   This Passover is the third one mentioned in John's Gospel (see also John 2:13; 6:4).  It is also the setting for the final week of Christ's earthly ministry, which will be narrated in careful detail.  My study Bible adds that Jesus had already been glorified through His signs and words; now it remained for Him to be glorified through His death and Resurrection.  Here, Jesus returns to Bethany, a short way from Jerusalem, and joins His friends Martha, Mary, and Lazarus for a supper.

 

 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."   My study Bible points out that while the other disciples said the same thing that Judas said, they did so with very different motives (see also Matthew 26:6-13).  Judas spoke from greed, my study Bible says, while the others spoke from the virtue of charity.   It remarks upon this idea that Jesus put a thief in charge of the money shows that by every means He attempted to save Judas:  He fulfilled Judas' lust for money; He allowed Judas to exercise apostolic authority (John 6:11; see also Mark 6:7); and Christ allowed Judas to partake at the table of the Mystical Supper (John 13:26).  But Judas could never overcome his greed.

Jesus tells the disciples, "For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always."  Perhaps it's easiest to read this statement as one that specifies that Jesus is special, different, a unique case.  But, on the contrary, it seems that an argument can be easily made for the exception of a general rule of compassion or charity in terms of whatever urgent need we might see in front of ourselves.  Mary's anointing of Christ is in itself an act of compassion -- and also one of love.  We know that Jesus loves Mary and her siblings.  The shortest verse in the Bible is an expression of this love:  "Jesus wept" (John 11:35).  The sympathy between Himself and Mary, Martha, and Lazarus is one we understand from the Gospel passages that teach us how much He loved them.  Mary's anointing is a return of that love, an expression of love and also veneration for the Lord.  Jesus returns this compassion to her by expressing the goodness of her act, her good intention, to the rest of the disciples.  There He notes, "Me you do not have always."  He points to the deep and urgent need that is right in front of them, that perhaps the disciples do not want to face:  that she does this because she accepts what they cannot, and she is preparing Christ for His burial, for what is to come in Jerusalem.   But this exceptional statement, it seems to me, is preparing us for the deep exceptions to the "rules" that will come in our own lives, and that is especially true in terms of how we share our compassion with others.  Compassion is so key to the Gospels and to the ministry of Christ.  In His parable of Judgment, the parable of the sheep and the goats, it is really the expression of compassion, or its omission, that is the key to Christ's judgment (Matthew 25:31-46).  If we take a close look at the parable, we note that Jesus does not say general "rules" about judgment, but gets down to very specific actions and details.  He says,  "I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in;  I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me."  And the people in return, ask specifically about such incidents, "Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?"  Those who failed to do so ask similarly, "Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?"  What this teaches us about acts of compassion or charity is that to see what is in front of us, which situation or circumstance arises that needs our help in some sense is to do what He wishes of us.  To fail to see what is in front of us is a failure to be what He calls us to be.  It's all very well to understand ethics, to think in general terms about charity and love and compassion; but it's meaningless if that does not translate to the capacity to discern such need when it doesn't fit a  prescription or pattern or theory or ideology.  Our charity means nothing if it does not touch the heart.  Judas' heart is somewhere else, although he expresses nominally an urgency toward compassion and charity.  If we are waiting only to see someone important or significant (like Christ) who needs our help, we are failing in our hearts to know compassion and to understand charity.   After all, who could equal the powerful position of Christ?  And yet, here He is speaking of Himself as one in need.   We must ask ourselves, who are "the poor" in each circumstance?  What do the "poor" look like?  Are the "poor" only those poor in a monetary sense?  For in the present scenario in the Gospel, Jesus is the poor, the one in need of this anointing for His burial.  So it stands to reason for us to extrapolate from this teaching that one in need of our help, one for whom our compassion is needed at any moment, might be someone we do not expect, whose profile does not fit our "picture" of one who needs or deserves our charity.  And from there, we must learn to assume that we are to keep our eyes open, to continually be learning this language of compassion of the heart, and to discern where God may be calling us to something we can't yet see.  So, let us continue this outsized, extravagant, and noteworthy action of grace on the part of Mary of Bethany.  Elsewhere, in His admonition, Christ extends praise indeed, saying, "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" (Matthew 26:13).  Let us learn to see what is in front of us, the language of God in the heart asking us for discernment beyond a rule.

 

 

 

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

Yesterday we read that after the raising of Lazarus (see the readings from Thursday and Friday) many of the Jews who had come to 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 our 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 tells us that because Jesus is the Lamb of God (1:29), John's Gospel continually emphasizes the connection between Christ's death and the Passover.  At the Passover, lambs were slaughtered to save the Jews from death (Exodus 12:1-13).  Christ's death saves mankind from sin and death.

Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead.  This is the third Passover mentioned in John's Gospel (after 2:13; 6:4).  It is the setting for the final week of Jesus' earthly life and ministry.  John will narrate it in careful detail.  My study bible says that at this point Jesus has already been glorified through His signs and words.  Now it remains for Him to be glorified through His Death and Resurrection.

There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him.  Think of this setting, with one sitting at the table who had previously been dead!  The gratitude of Mary for this gift is something that is striking to think of, and likely plays a role in what follows.

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."  My study bible comments that the other disciples said the same thing that Judas said here, but with a very different motive (see Matthew 26:6-13).  Judas spoke from greed, but the others spoke from the virtue of charity.  A note adds here that the fact that Jesus pt a thief in charge of the money shows that by every means He attempted to save Judas:  He fulfilled Judas' lust for money; He allows him to exercise apostolic authority (6:11; see also Mark 6:7).  he washed Judas' feet with the other disciples (13:5); and He allowed him to partake at the table of the Mystical Supper (13:26).  Yet Judas could never overcome his greed.

It's quite a scene to consider, all sitting at table together with one who had literally been dead and was raised by Christ.  It is an image of the communion of saints, gathered together with all of the apostles, with Mary and Martha, and with Lazarus.  It teaches us that all live to Him, and is a literal illustration that He is the Bread of Life (6:35).  There is also a clear eucharistic significance in this supper at which all those who live to Him are gathered, including one formerly dead.  It is a gathering of those who love Him, as is clearly seen in the devotion of Mary.  Mary is an interesting figure, as she takes devotion to Christ one step further than what we have seen.  We have seen the disciples traveling with Him, learning from Him, going through all things to be shaped into the apostles He desires for Himself.  But Mary's act is one of pure love, pure-heartedness.  Christ calls it His anointing before burial, pronouncing it a pure gift.   "She has kept this for the day of My burial," He tells them, and there can be no doubt that what He says is true.  Such is the connection of love, that she alone really perceives what is going to happen.  It is another sense in which this supper is a gathering of the communion of saints, for she anoints Christ death which she knows is coming, even at this gathering of the living and one who has been raised from the dead.  What we infer from this reading is that the communion is made up of love, that love is the substance of what is at work here, unifying all in the life of Christ.  Certainly this is the pure expression of Mary, the beautiful and costly fragrance counteracting the corruption of death, and reminding us of the prayers of the saints rising to heaven in fragrance.  John the Evangelist is given a vision of such, rising from an angel's hand, recorded in the Revelation (Revelation 8:4).  Mary's act of love fills this scene with an unsurpassable kind of beauty.  Jesus affirms this when He tells the disciples to let her alone.  The one who truly cannot understand this is Judas, blighted as he is (according to John) with his own greed.  He cannot see the value of the love she expresses.  It is one more act in the Gospel which separates the faithful from the unfaithful, from those who cannot accept what He teaches.  But this time, the act which separates faithful from unfaithful is from the heart of one who loves Him purely, a woman.  And that is most important too, because in this scene of the living and the dead, gathered in love of Christ is included both women and men, and in particular this woman.  In all the scenes of Mary, her personality is contrasted with Martha.  She does not do the active serving and hospitality in the household, a traditional woman's role.  In Luke's Gospel, she remains at His feet, listening to His word, and learning, with the other disciples, while her sister serves (Luke 10:38-42).  She does nothing to "justify" or "earn" her worthiness through a nominal works, and so she is also an illustration of pure grace.  Indeed, the base for all unguents, perfumes, and medicines in the ancient world was a very pure kind of olive oil (particularly so for a very costly perfume oil like this one).  In the Greek, the words for mercy and for olive oil sound alike; therefore there has always been a symbolic connection between the oil of anointing, of chrismation, of healing, with grace, with mercy.  Mary's expression of love is therefore seen with the materialistic eyes of Judas as superfluous, unnecessary, wasteful.  But in Christ's eyes it is something quite different, a genuine act of mercy and love, made with the the most priceless of motives.  Hers is the grace that seals all things together where those who live to Christ are gathered.  May we always remember His words about her, and sense the beauty in her act of love.

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

On Saturday, we read that many of those who had come to Mary from Jerusalem, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him.  [For the story of the raising of Lazarus, see the readings of Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.]  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 says that because Jesus is the Lamb of God, the connection between the Passover, when  lambs were slaughtered to save the Jews from death (Exodus 12:1-13), and the death of Jesus, which saved mankind from sin and death, is continually emphasized.  And yet again, John's Gospel gives us the controversy surrounding Jesus, the differing opinions among the people, and the fear provoked by religious authorities.

Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom he had raised from the dead.  This is the third Passover spoken of in John's Gospel.  (For the earlier Passover years, see 2:13, 6:4.)   This Passover is the setting for the last week of the earthly ministry of Christ, and it is narrated in careful detail.  My study bible says that Jesus had already been glorified through His signs and words.  Now it is time for Him to be glorified through His death and Resurrection.

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."   My study bible here speaks of Judas.  It points out that the other disciples said the same thing he did, but with a very different motive (see Matthew 26:6-13).  John tells us that Judas spoke from greed.  My study bible says the fact that Jesus put a thief in charge of the money shows that by every means He attempted to save Judas:  He fulfilled Judas' lust for money; He allowed Judas to exercise apostolic authority (6:11; see also Mark 6:7); He washed Judas' feet with the other disciples (13:5); and He allowed him to partake at the table of the Mystical Supper (13:26).  Yet Judas could not overcome his greed.

It's striking the contrast of attitudes and details here in today's reading.  There is first of all the astonishing fact that Lazarus, a man brought back from the dead, is sitting here at this table with Jesus. One might possibly imagine people tempted at least to stare at him, or to look for signs of this experience in his face and manner.  And then there is the second fact of Mary's anointing of Christ.  Not only is the act itself something unusual and astonishing, but it is greatly remarked upon.  What is striking is John's detail, that the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.  One can't help but think about the vivid and strong picture we're given here, of not one but two extraordinary things happening, and a whole house filled with the scent of this extremely expensive fragrance.   Not only would the scent have been powerfully present and remarkable to the apostles (most of whom did not come from backgrounds where they would have been frequently exposed to anything like this costly beautiful ointment), but the oil was fragrant enough so that it fills the entire house.   We know the power of scent as something that can be potent and overwhelming, stunning to the senses.  But despite all this that is going on, there is one thing in Judas' mind:  and that is the cost of this fragrant oil.  He clearly sees it as a "waste."  John tells us that Judas is a thief, and he cares for the money that could have come into the funds of the apostles, from which he used to steal.  But there is just so much more here that is missing from Judas' perspective.  There is the tremendous love expressed by this woman for Christ.  This story appears in all four Gospels, but it's not clear if we are talking about the same woman in each.  Certainly it's not clear that each incident involves Mary of Bethany.  In Luke's Gospel (Luke 7:36-50) this woman is called a great sinner by the Pharisee who hosts the dinner.  But in the accounts of Mark and Matthew, Jesus says that she is anointing Him for burial, and that "wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her" (see Mark 14:8-9, Matthew 26:12).   So that we understand a true impulse to help the poor is important and good, Jesus says, "For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always."  But again, this statement goes to emphasize the importance of her act of love and care.   And love and care must be the root of what we are motivated to do.  In Matthew 9:13, Jesus quotes Hosea 6:6:  "Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."  If we look closely, it seems to me that Judas is self-righteously speaking of (someone else's) sacrifice, while the woman is responding to her own deep sense of love and mercy.  And it's in this contrast between mercy and sacrifice that we understand Jesus and what He's trying to say, and what the Gospel story is teaching us.  One is a kind of duty, even detached from oneself, something done to fulfill a rule, possibly even calculated through an intellectual understanding of what seems to be required from oneself.  But the other is an act of love, motivated from compassion, a depth of response in the heart.  That is not to imply or invoke a kind of sentimentality.  Rather it is a depth of genuine response in the fullness of ourselves.  This woman senses a true need, and she responds with love.  The world -- and all of the men and women who are His followers -- are about to suffer a tremendous loss.   Mary of Bethany is the one to whom Jesus responded in her suffering at the loss of her brother by weeping Himself.  There's no doubt about the depth of feeling between Jesus and the family of Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha.  Mary is also the one who sat at his feet, and earned praise from Jesus for doing so when her sister complained that she was not being helpful (Luke 10:38:-42).  He said on that occasion, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.  But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."  Let us consider what it means for the Lord to desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the depth of fullness in us that asks.  When we are capable of truly responding with the one thing necessary, that good part, then perhaps we also will truly understand as she did.

Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me

 After two days it was the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take Him by trickery and put Him to death.  But they said, "Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar of the people."

And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly spikenard.  Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head.  But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, "Why was this fragrant oil wasted?  For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor."  And they criticized her sharply.  But Jesus said, "Let her alone.  Why do you trouble her?  She has done a good work for Me.  For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always.  She has done what she could.  She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial.  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."

Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him to them.  And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money.  So he sought how he might conveniently betray Him.

- Mark 14:1-11

"Now learn this parable from the fig tree:  When its branch has already become tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.  So you also, when you see these things happening, know that it is near -- at the doors!  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.  But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.  It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch.  Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming -- in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning -- lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping.  And what I say to you, I say to all:  Watch!"

 After two days it was the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take Him by trickery and put Him to death.  But they said, "Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar of the people."  My study bible explains that the Feast of Unleavened Bread begins with the Passover meal on the evening of 15 Nisan (on the Jewish calendar) and lasts seven days (Exodus 12:12-20).  These two feasts together commemorate Israel's liberation from slavery in Egypt.  The word Passover is used in connection with the "passing over" of Hebrew homes by the angel of death when killing the firstborn of the Egyptians, because the Jews had put lamb's blood on their doorposts (Exodus 12:13).  Unleavened bread as the tradition reminds all of the haste with which the Hebrews left Egypt (Exodus 12:39).  My study bible adds that this Passover was fulfilled in Christ, the Lamb whose blood was shed to free humanity from bondage to sin and death.

And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly spikenard.  Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head.  But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, "Why was this fragrant oil wasted?  For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor."  And they criticized her sharply.  But Jesus said, "Let her alone.  Why do you trouble her?  She has done a good work for Me.  For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always.  She has done what she could.  She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial.  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."   My study bible says that Simon the leper must have been healed earlier by Jesus, because lepers were forbidden to live in towns.   It explains that because of her fervent faith, Jesus promises perpetual public memory of this woman who anointed Him for His burial.  There is no traditional consensus of opinion on her identity -- there are similar events reported in Matthew 26:6-13, Luke 7:36-38, and John 12:1-8.  Some commentators say there were three different women in the four accounts, but others say there were only two.

Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him to them.  And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money.  So he sought how he might conveniently betray Him.   A note tells us that Judas seeks on his own initiative to betray Jesus.  While his motives have been debated, traditional commentary tends to agree that greed was the primary motive.  It is the opinion given in John 12:4-6, where it is stated that Judas was upset by the "waste" of myrrh in the story of the woman with the alabaster flask because he was a thief.  The fact that Judas was one of the Twelve serves as emphasis on the great depth of betrayal here.  Interestingly, one of the Greek texts calls Judas the son of Simon in this passage in John.  Perhaps we might speculate that the betrayal is linked to a rebuke given inside of his family home. 

This story appears in all four Gospels, in one form and another.  As stated above,  the identity of the woman is debated in each story, and how many separate events are really incorporated here.  In John's Gospel, she's certainly identified with Mary of Bethany, the sister of Lazarus and Martha.  But the really powerful story is of the love that is expressed, and a kind of split in the way in which we might think of things.  Its great importance to the whole of the New Testament is noted simply because of the accounts that appear in all four Gospels.  My study bible notes that John Chrysostom says that the disciples aren't necessarily all wrong in their criticism -- he says that mercy shown to the poor is more fitting than outward signs shown even to God (Matthew 25:40, James 1:27).  But once the gift was given, it was a greater mercy to accept it with love.  Had Christ known of it in advance, says St. Chrysostom, He surely would have directed her otherwise.  But once the gift was given, the only thing to do was to look to the gift itself.  What good would be a rebuke?  The same could be said of  a gift made to a Church of a beautiful ornament.  While the point is well-taken, I think there's something more here.  It's linked to the passage in which Jesus stated that it was harder for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven.  When Jesus teaches him to sell all he has and give it to the poor, it's not an instruction specifically for the poor, it's an instruction given specifically to the rich man for a particular reason.  It teaches us that nothing should keep us back from the fullness of love for God (like attachment to our possessions).  What we can see in this story of the anointing is the depth of simple and straightforward love in the heart of the woman for Christ.  Love trumps everything.  One commentary (Pulpit Commentary) refers to this act (in John's Gospel) as one of "royal self-forgetting love."  The loosening of a woman's hair would have been an act of a depth of humility before Christ, and those at this very public dinner.  What Jesus praises is not the gift, but the depth of love involved.  It's a true gift of anointing for burial, an act of grief and love, like the closest family member, a statement of His central importance to her.  He goes to her defense, really, against all of His disciples; it's not only Judas who criticizes.  His statement about her is a kind of grace we associate with Christ's love for each of us, in His knowledge of our own hearts.  We note Jesus' statement that "she has done what she could."  We are almost at the Cross, and the theme here is given again:  formal observance of the commandments is not enough, there's a deeper level in which faith rests that He seeks.  It rests in love, and it's in the name of this kind of love expressed by this woman that true kindness to the poor is an extension of the love we have for God.  Let us keep in mind that "poor" applies to any kind of poor in any situation; the poor are also "the least of these," the ones with less clout or currency, or even importance, just as she herself may be "poor" among the disciples and the others at dinner here in today's reading, and it is Christ who comes to her defense.  Do we doubt that such a deeply loving heart would deny any help to the poor (particularly in the name of Christ), or lack in kindness and compassion?  Let us remember the power of love and its transcendent power to trump all things.  It's this kind of love that is linked to the fact that with God all things are possible.  In another way, this woman exemplifies what Jesus taught to the lawyer who asked, "Who is my neighbor?"  This is an active love, one that doesn't wait for others to love first or with a motive for gain.  Her anointing of Christ is like a symbolic anointing of grace, imitating God, loving as He has loved us.

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

Last week, we read about Jesus' seventh and final sign in the Book of John, the raising of Lazarus from the dead.  See the readings:  If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.  But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him, I am the resurrection and the life, and Lazarus, come forth!  On Saturday, we read that many of those who had come from Jerusalem to 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 our 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.

  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 says that "because Jesus is the Lamb of God (1:29), the connection between the Passover, when lambs were slaughtered to save the Jews from death (Exodus 12:1-13), and the death of Jesus, which saves mankind from sin and death, is continually emphasized."  We note that by now the leadership has decided that Jesus must die; they are waiting for Him to attend the Passover in Jerusalem in order to seize Him.  Jesus is fully aware of their decision to destroy 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.   My study bible explains:  "This Passover is the third mentioned in John (see 2:13; 6:4) and is the setting for the last week of Christ's earthly ministry, which is narrated in careful detail.  Jesus had already been glorified through His signs and words; it remained for Him to be glorified through His death and Resurrection."

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."   My study bible notes here:  "The other disciples said the same thing Judas said (v. 5), but with a very different motive (see Matthew 26:6-13).  Judas spoke from greed, while the others spoke from the virtue of charity.  That Jesus put a thief in charge of the money shows that by every means He attempted to save Judas:  He fulfilled Judas' lust for money; He allowed Judas to exercise apostolic authority (6:11; see also Mark 6:7).; He washed Judas' feet with the other disciples (13:5); and He allowed him to partake at the table of the Mystical Supper (13:26). Yet Judas could never overcome his greed."

It's important to note that -- as my study bible points out -- there are other motives besides greed in the criticism of Mary, sister of Judas and Martha, by the other apostles (besides Judas).  That is, even if she is criticized here from a more pure and less "cunning" perspective,  Jesus still corrects.  The criticism of Mary is wrong.  Purely and simply, love isn't a dollars-and-cents equivalent measure sort of a thing.  What she does, she does from love and devotion to Christ, and He's pointing that out to the disciples.  Judas we understand is the one who will betray.   And perhaps his betrayal is stoked by Jesus' open rebuke and criticism.   But the lesson is for all of them.  Ours isn't a church of measurements and weights and formulas.  You can't put love into monetary terms except in the idea that whatever love truly prompts and calls for, it is worthy -- and that cannot be separated from love and devotion to God.  In this case, it's an act of anointing for burial.  Mary is so close to Jesus, as beloved friend of this family, that she is well aware of what is going to happen.  She knows that this is her last chance to be in such close contact with Him.  Her gift is one of the greatest acts of love and devotion.  And I think we have to separate that from a kind of human-to-human devotion.  In fact, it's important that we understand love as that which is given to us most perfectly by God.  Our love for God, and our nurturing in God's loving embrace, informs us about love, teaches us what we are to share with others, how to love others in a proper sense.  Love isn't possession and it isn't slavery.  It doesn't compel but is something given in real internal freedom.  That is the action we see here, and so much more.  It's also an act of devotion to the One who is beloved as friend, and Teacher, and Lord.  We can look at this scene and see truly many things.  Another important insight is the importance of this woman in ministry, that wherever the Gospel is told, so is the story of this anointing as memorial.  Truly, the greatest mystery of God is love, and it's our job to come to know and to share that love in the world.  Love may seem a simple thing; we can see it all around us, even perhaps in the nurturing of their offspring by animals.  But devotion to God takes us much further in this quest to understand what love is.  There are all sorts of difficult human questions about healing and love, how we best nurture others, and what is the most loving thing to do in any situation.  Compassion is another aspect of love we must learn how best to express.  These are not easy questions.  And they can't be answered by formulas regarding money and measurement.  This insight from this story tells us something powerful and important regarding our gifts to God and to the world.  Only the real Judge can measure; the truth in the heart that is known to Christ is the true measure.  Love is more than indulgence, it's more than simply doing what someone else would like of you -- much more.  We start with the relationship to Christ, where we receive God's love, so that we can better learn love and grow in that understanding so that we may give love ourselves.  The poor we always have with us; but this is a promise that there is all kinds of need, and all kinds of poverty in need of care.  The statement remains blatantly true in its surface meaning,  but if we look around us there may be all kinds of ways in which love of the "poor," in whatever form "poor" may take, is awaiting its expression through us.  This word for "poor," coming to us in the Gospels, also has meanings of wretched, cowering, destitute, lowly; there are all kinds of ways in which human beings may manifest that.  How do we "lift up the lowly," as He does?  How do we express a real compassion and love, as she does?

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. 

Wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her

 After two days it was the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take Him by trickery and put Him to death.  But they said, "Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar of the people."

And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard.  Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head.  But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, "Why was this fragrant oil wasted?  For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor."  And they criticized her sharply.  But Jesus said, "Let her alone.  Why do you trouble her?  She has done a good work for Me.  For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always.  She has done what she could.  She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial.  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."

Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him to them.  And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money.  So he sought how he might conveniently betray Him.

- Mark 14:1-11

Jesus is now in Jerusalem, and has been teaching the disciples about the destruction of the temple and also the end of the age; the two teachings are mingled in this section of the Gospels.  (See readings from Saturday and Monday.)  In yesterday's reading, Jesus continued:  "Now learn this parable from the fig tree:  When its branch has already become tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.  So you also, when you see these things happening, know that it is near -- at the doors!  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.  But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.  It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch.  Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming -- in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning -- lest, coming suddenly , he find you sleeping.  And what I say to you, I say to all:  Watch!"

After two days it was the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take Him by trickery and put Him to death.  But they said, "Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar of the people."   My study bible says, "The Feast of the Unleavened Bread begins with the Passover meal on the evening of 15 Nisan and lasts seven days (Exodus 12:12-20).  Both feasts commemorate Israel's liberation from Egypt.  The word 'Passover' does not refer to the crossing of the Red Sea, but to the angel of death 'passing over' Hebrew homes when killing the firstborn of the Egyptians (Exodus 12:13).  Unleavened bread is a reminder of the haste with which the Hebrews left Egypt.  It also symbolized holiness unmixed with evil.  Passover prefigures the new deliverance of humanity by Christ from the power of sin and death."

And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard.  Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head.  But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, "Why was this fragrant oil wasted?  For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor."  And they criticized her sharply.  But Jesus said, "Let her alone.  Why do you trouble her?  She has done a good work for Me."  My study bible tells us that "knowledge of religious things is good, but devotion to Christ is more important.  Here a woman who knows less about religion than her critics expresses her deep love and devotion to Christ, devotion He accepts with gratitude.  Those who were indignant are the disciples themselves, according to Matthew 26:8, while John 12:4-5 specifies Judas Iscariot."

"For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always.  She has done what she could.  She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial.  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."  Again, my study bible tells us helpfully:  "Often we do not fully understand the implications of what we do for Christ.  This woman was expressing her love for Jesus; she may or may not have known that she was anointing the body of Jesus for burial (see Matthew 26:12)."

Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him to them.  And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money.  So he sought how he might conveniently betray Him.  The Gospels teach us that after this incident of the woman pouring the oil and anointing Christ with it, Judas went to betray Him.  In John's Gospel, we're specifically told that Judas criticized this woman because he was a thief  (see John 12:6).   It may also be that Judas' rebuke openly by Christ, in defense of this woman, was what decided him to betray his Master. 

In the Gospels, we're given many paradoxes -- themes that seem in some sense contradictory.  But in all cases, they are teaching tools used by Jesus to get us to think about and to live in and participate in our faith.  He tells us about hypocrisy; this is one of His biggest criticisms He will make of anyone.  That is, those who do things for a show, especially religious practice, when their hearts aren't really in the same place.  Hypocrite, we remember, is a word that means "actor" in the Greek, someone who wears a mask, who is "under" a mask.  "Following the rules" in this sense, if they allow us to remain hypocrites, just isn't good enough.  Our faith isn't about an ideology.  It can't really be broken down into a kind of set of rules to follow, except insofar as we understand the law as written in our minds and hearts.  It isn't that we don't have formal teaching or understanding, far from it.  But it is that there is a deeper rule that we follow and that really makes our faith just that -- faith.  It is the relationship between ourselves and God:  Father, Son and Spirit, and the extension of this relationship to neighbor.  Over and over again, we come back to those two greatest commandments which Jesus named to the scribe as He taught in the temple in Jerusalem, in last week's reading.   And even more deeply, if we think about it, those commandments are ranked clearly through this teaching in today's reading:  Judas and the others ostensibly criticize this woman for failing to love her neighbor, in essence, by not selling her expensive ointment and putting it in the treasury, the distribution for the poor.  But Christ teaches about love of God first.  It's important to understand Jesus' words that "the poor we have with us always" because what He's saying is that nothing keeps this woman from also helping the poor directly, and that we, too, always have those around us who need our help in one way or another.  But the relationship with God who is love comes first, and out of that comes truly our loving behavior and actions.  Out of that relationship comes a kind of discernment that leads us to what is truly needful.  We can't be broken down in our faith to following a set of rules as if we simply live as robots, and not as human beings who were created for relationship, for love, for growth.  Here, what is needful is an anointing for His burial.  Whatever way in which the love of God is working in this woman, it has led her to do something truly needful, a gift to the whole world; so much so, that Christ teaches Himself that wherever the Gospel is preached in the whole world, this story will be told as a memorial to her.  He, in turn, exalts her.  Whatever we do in the world, let us remember that the law written on hearts and minds may not work in ways that we can logically justify to others except perhaps in hindsight.  The law of love just doesn't work like a cold code, an ideology of  "one size fits all."  On the contrary, in the loving embrace of God we each of us are called as unique beings to fulfill the potentials (the talents) God has assigned to us, and we each have something to contribute.  It's the failure to heed that particular call that gets us into trouble, a spurning of that grace.  We may all think we know better, that whatever ways in which we've been taught will give us more than would a simple relationship with God.  But this is arrogance.  It's God's love that trumps everything else.  When we think we always know what that looks like, we, too, may be the ones who think they know, but can't see the forest for the trees.  Judas cannot get over his own failure here, and he fails to learn what Christ has to teach.  His love doesn't get that far.  Neither does his faith in Christ's love for him.

The Extravagance of Love

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

In last week's readings, we read about the raising of Lazarus, Jesus' seventh and final sign in John's Gospels. For the story of Lazarus' raising, see Lord, behold, he whom you love is sick; Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died; and Lazarus, come forth! In Saturday's reading, we learned of the aftermath of this sign, the most powerful and potent of all. At the home of Martha, Mary and Lazarus, many mourners had come from Jerusalem. They were among those of the people who followed the leadership in the temple. After this sign, many of them believed, but others among them went and told the Pharisees the things that Jesus did. The Pharisees and the chief priests made a council. They asked, "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." Caiaphas was the high priest that year. He told 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. Jesus then went into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim.

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. Jesus has attended two Passover festivals already in John's Gospel. This will be His third, and final, in His ministry. For these readings, we remember that the term "the Jews" is generally used in John's Gospel to denote those who prevail in the leadership at the temple, and their followers. By now Jesus knows they wish to put Him to death, and hasn't walked among these people. My study bible has a note: "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 over 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. There they made him a supper, and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. Here is a picture for us, a kind of icon. The family of Lazarus prepare a supper. Naturally, Martha is serving. In all stories of these sisters, it is Martha who is busy with duties of hospitality. Jesus' disciples sit with Lazarus at the table, one who has been raised, formerly dead. It is a kind of picture of salvation, of family in Jesus' name. There are all kinds of ways in which we may in some sense or aspect be dead, but Jesus, as He has said, is the resurrection and the life. These are Jesus words' to Martha from Thursday's reading: "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live." Through Him, we sit at table among His followers, and we live. It is also a kind of picture of the Resurrection itself, in which all that lives in Him is transfigured and glorified. Bethany, we remember is about two miles east of Jerusalem. Jesus is journeying toward Jerusalem for the Passover.

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. This act of deep love and true devotion is referenced already in John's Gospel, in Wednesday's reading. So powerful is this symbol, so great is this act of love, that it was obviously widely known among the believers at the time John wrote his Gospel. It has often been referenced as the "extravagance of love." That the whole house is filled with the fragrance of the oil is a kind of reference to prayer. Her act of deep love is one that will reverberate everywhere, to others, even beyond space and time. Prayer is like a fragrance that ascends to God.

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 notes: "The account of the anointing 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 (vv. 7, 8)."

Judas doesn't seem capable of understanding Mary's great act of love, of devotion to Christ. We know of the love that was between Mary, Martha, Lazarus and Jesus. The Gospel has told us so repeatedly over the past few readings (see last week's as noted above). Luke's Gospel has also given us an account of Mary, and her character, and the ways that Jesus viewed her. For the early Church, she clearly remained an important and even a towering figure, as she does in the Gospels. But, even so, Mary is the one who sits in mourning, who sits at the feet of Jesus. who listens and chooses the good part. She responds quickly when secretly called to Him. And here, she pours the expensive fragrance on His feet, wiping them with her hair. Her act of love then becomes an anointing also for her, the fragrance a kind of symbol of her spiritual purity, what is truly in her heart, in her love for God. Why does Judas not understand this love? This language of love and its fragrance, its real spiritual devotion, is not something he can understand nor grasp when Jesus tells it to him. John's Gospel tells us he's avaricious, but there's much more to it than that. Judas will respond to this rebuke by betrayal. There's a depth to love that Jesus calls us toward. It's much more than doing good deeds, counting up what we can do like notches in a tablet. Love asks us much more, and that is the whole devotion of our hearts. And in that love is the language of God, the very relationships God will establish. This is a place much, much deeper than the things that we can count and measure on our terms. It is a place where God can be at work in our lives, moving us to the true good works that God wants of us, not what we can calculate on our terms. So, where does that language of love come from in you? How does its spiritual fragrance come to you and infuse your life?