¹ Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. ² Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. ³ Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
⁴ But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, ⁵ “Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages.” ⁶ He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.
⁷ “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. ⁸ You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”
⁹ Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. ¹⁰ So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, ¹¹ for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.as should report it so that they might arrest him.
Experiencing the boundless love of Christ frees us to love extravagantly.
Thoughts
- Mary's Extravagant Love (1-3) This dinner takes place in Bethany, in the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, probably a celebration of Lazarus's resurrection. Mary does something wildly extravagant. A pint of pure nard was worth a year's income. She doesn't just give Jesus something valuable: she pours it out completely, then uses her hair to wipe his feet, and the fragrance fills the whole house. The bride in the Song of Songs sings of her nard giving its scent while the king is at his table; here it is Mary's, and the King is in the room. When a person sees Jesus for who he is, cheap religion becomes impossible. She isn't calculating the cost. She is answering the One who raised her brother from the dead. ➤ When someone has met the love of Jesus, they are free to love him back without counting the cost.
- Judas Complains (4-6) Judas objects to the "waste" of the perfume. He's a tragic figure. He was close to Jesus, heard his teaching, saw his miracles, and still loved money more than Christ. John tells us his real motive without softening it: he was a thief, helping himself to the money bag, and his care for the poor was a cover. From its first page John's Gospel said that Jesus came to his own, and his own did not receive him. Judas is that line at the table, nearer to Jesus than almost anyone, and still unchanged. It is possible to use religious language, and even to care about good causes, while the heart stays far from him. The question is not only what we say, but what we love. ➤ You can stand close to Jesus for years and still not receive him.
- Jesus Defends Mary (7-11) He says, You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me. He isn't brushing the poor aside; he is quoting Deut 15:11, where God command runs, You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor. His point is that this hour is different. His death is near, and the perfume on his feet is readying his body for burial. There are times when loving and honoring Jesus is the one thing worth doing, even when it looks like waste. He does not ask her to be practical. He receives her gift with joy. Then the scene widens. A crowd gathers, drawn as much by Lazarus as by Jesus, and many of them believe. The chief priests answer the living proof of Lazarus by planning to kill him too, as if a new grave could undo an empty one. But the sign keeps working: Lazarus is alive, and his life keeps drawing people to believe, which is the whole reason John wrote these things down: that we would believe, and in believing, live. ➤ No love poured out on Jesus is ever wasted.
Reflection
- When was the last time your love for Jesus moved you to do something that others might consider extravagant, or even wasteful? What keeps us from loving Jesus with that kind of freedom and genero
