“Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.” John 12:3 The Gospel of Luke tells us she had been a sinful woman. John doesn’t mention that in this passage, but we are told that Martha was serving and Lazarus was reclining at the meal. I wonder why Mary was at Jesus feet.
We are not told how Jesus knew Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, only that they were a family that Jesus loved. There is a passage in John 8 that biblical scholars debate whether or not it should be there because it was not in the earlier manuscripts that are thought to be more reliable. It is the story of the woman caught in adultery and Jesus telling her accusers that whoever was without sin could cast the first stone. After they all left, he asked her, “Has no one condemned you?” When she answered no, he said, “Then neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin.” John 8:10-11.
I wonder if the woman whom he saved from sure death by stoning, could have been Mary. I wonder if it was a grateful family that became friends with Jesus. In a way, that would explain Mary and Martha’s relationship recorded in Luke 10 where Martha was serving and Mary was sitting at the feet of Jesus. It would even help explain Martha’s frustration with her sister. And it would explain a very grateful Mary who wanted to sit at Jesus’ feet. She wanted to be near him, her Savior, and could not pull herself away even when tradition dictated she should be helping her sister. This Jesus had saved her life, both physically and spiritually.
“But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, ‘Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.’ He did not say this because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.” John 12:4-6 Here we get a look at another point of view. Judas may have said it out loud, but others were likely thinking it. We know from what Judas did later, that he did not understand that Jesus was the Christ. He did not understand Mary’s gratefulness to her Savior. He was looking at it purely from a physical here and now point of view. He did not have the spiritual insight to understand what was happening. Nor did he know how much forgiveness he would need from Jesus in the not-too-distant future.
Once more, Jesus uses this opportunity to tell those close to him of his impending death. “’Leave her alone,’ Jesus replied. ‘It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.’” John 12:7-8 I wonder if the perfume Mary used was left over from her sinful life and her act of putting it on Jesus’ feet was her last assurance that she would not return to that life of sin. Whatever her purpose, Jesus understood and knew her heart. Once again, he defended her to her accusers.
Biblical scholars may argue with me on this and that is fine. The point isn’t so much whether or not Mary was the woman caught in adultery as it is that Mary was so grateful to her Jesus that she couldn’t tear herself away from him. She would give him everything – even her most expensive perfume, because she was so very grateful to him for saving her from her life of sin.
For Mary, it was obvious to others that she had been a sinful woman. She had been caught. And it was obvious to her that she needed a Savior. He had saved her life – literally. In Mary, Martha and Lazarus, I see three ways of responding to Jesus. Grateful Mary is sitting at his feet soaking up everything about him she can. Lazarus is reclining at the table with him enjoying his company and just hanging out. Martha is serving Jesus and his friends.
We all come to Jesus from different places. Some of us desperately need to be saved from sinful lives, some of us enjoy his companionship, and some of us need to serve. That is just who we are! Jesus loved all three of them and he loves us no matter where we come from. I see all three of these people around me today – people who just hang on Jesus and his every word, people who are just comfortable being with him and enjoying good conversations with him, and people who are busy serving him and his guests.
Which one of these am I? And what part of Jesus do others see when they look at me? If I am the very grateful one sitting at his feet, those who are needing to be set free from their sinful lives may see hope. If I am a comfortable one reclining with Jesus, they may see wisdom. If I am a serving one, they may see love. Is it possible that I can be all three of these in different situations?
No comments:
Post a Comment