Word to the Wise
Monday, April 2, 2007 - Monday of Holy Week
[Isaiah 42:1-7 and John 12:1-11]]Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served, while Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with him. Mary too a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair.......
Oh my! What a dinner! It would be enough to know that Lazarus would be attending! (How often are we motivated to go to an otherwise boring dinner simply to see a celebrity we have heard is going to be there?) The imagination boggles at possible conversation, even if Jesus is the guest of honor! The Martha/Mary combination gets into the act as well. Martha, as usual, is serving! Mary, who in the story in the Gospel of Luke (10:39) sat at the feet of Jesus to listen to him, now anoints those same feet with expensive perfume. This sets up the comments of Judas and the author's comment about Judas as an embezzler. The lines at the end of the passage remind us to put this incident in the perspective of the bigger picture of this week. Mary's action is a highly symbolic one. Her anointing of Jesus is a contrast with the sour attitude of Judas. When it comes to Jesus' death, what does the value of the perfume mean? It is the death that matters and Judas is complicit with the plotters against Jesus! The event adds to the dramatic tension of the week which gradually increases. Even Lazarus is at risk! If the swirl of strong characters in this incident is too much, perhaps we can pick one of them and put ourselves in his or her place. Remember, however, it was not certain at least theoretically at the event that this would be the last time some of them would be with Jesus at a meal! On the other hand, our knowledge of the bigger story can enrich our participation in all the events recounted by the gospel authors of Jesus' last days. After waving a palm frond and cheering, are we now to "sober up" and wonder what really IS going on? Stay tuned! AMEN
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