St. John 12:1-8, New Revised Standard Version Bible ©1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.
There are some locations mentioned in the Gospels that are absolutely loaded with meaning. Bethlehem, where Jesus is born. Nazareth, where Jesus grows up. Capernaum, to which Jesus relocates as an adult. The Sea of Galilee, where Jesus calls his disciples and survives a terrific storm at sea. The Mount of Olives, where Jesus prays shortly before his death. And the home of Lazarus, Mary and Martha, in Bethany, about 1½ miles east of Jerusalem, on the south-eastern slope of the Mount of Olives.
Bethany is where John the Baptizer is questioned by priests and Levites from Jerusalem, who come to challenge his ministry. Bethany is where Jesus often spends the night, during his visits to Jerusalem. Bethany is where Jesus has dinner with Simon, the leper. Bethany is where Jesus raises his dear friend, Lazarus, who had died four days earlier (after which the chief priests and the Pharisees begin planning for how they will put Jesus to death). And Bethany is where Jesus blesses his disciples, and is carried up into heaven.
Judas protests, arguing that a year's pay could have brought relief to so many of the poor. (St. John suspects he has less noble motives.) Jesus seems glad to receive this extravagant gift — and interprets it in a way that Mary could never have anticipated. She has anointed him for the day of his burial. Mary's extravagant gift, anointing Jesus as he prepares to give his extravagant gift; it fills the house with the fragrance of sacred love.
To argue about whether we should honor Jesus or feed the poor is to misunderstand the significance of this moment. The poor will be present forever, and God's people do well to serve them with love and compassion. But Mary recognizes this moment for what it is, and with heartfelt love she prepares Jesus for the gift he is about to give. The gift he continues to give today.
As the raising of Lazarus sets the wheels in motion for Jesus' execution, Mary's anointing of his feet proclaims the extravagance of Jesus' love. A love that makes all the difference in the world to Lazarus, and Mary, and Martha, and so many others who are touched by him. A love that makes all the difference in the world to us today, as well.
What might Mary have had in mind as she anointed the feet of Jesus?
How do Jesus and Judas understand this moment in radically different ways?
How does Mary's act of love prepare the reader for what will come next in Jesus' story?
How might I show my love for Jesus in bold and extravagant ways?
What pressures or sensibilities diminish my ability to love Jesus with my whole heart?
Am I aware of anyone who lives in a way that displays a passionate and exuberant love for God?